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Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 01 January 2010

FIELD OUTING

Sunday, 17" January 2010, 6.30AM: ICRISAT, Patancheru. ICRISAT is one of the richest birding
spots around the city and a winter visit here is near mandatory. It boasts of a varied habitat with lakes,
fields, ponds, grasslands, etc., and this makes for a varied species list. ICRISAT may give us Wire-tailed
Swallows, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters and Yellow-wattled Lapwings, besides the water birds, a few raptors and
some bush birds as well. This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further
details and to co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-
08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LAND OF THE ICE BEARS
Thursday, 28" January 2010, 6:00 p.m.: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office
Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally. Mr Janardhan P.J. Reddy will give a talk on his trip to Norway -
The Svalbard archipelago - located between 76 and 81 north latitude and about 800-900 km from the North
Pole. His talk will be interspersed with photographs of the flora and fauna of that area and information
pertaining to climate change and its effect on the Arctic.

SIRAJ AHMED TAHER
(1942 — 2010)

Our President Emeritus passed away on the 7” of January 2010. Sirajsaab, as he was fondly called, was
a doyen among birdwatchers and an inspiration to all of us. In Sirajsaab’s sad demise we have lost one
of our leading lights. We pray that his family may bear the loss with fortitude.

Trip Report — Manjeera, 27" December 2009
Text and photo: K B Rao

I had been staying at Sangareddy (Medak district)
from 25 to 27 December 2009, and hence was not
affected by the political disturbances that derailed
most people’s plans to visit Manjeera on 27"
December. I started early and reached Kalabgoor
village before sunrise. Driving slowly, looking for
bird activity in the fields on either side of the road,
my first sighting was the Asian Openbill (Anastomus
oscitans). It was quite close to the road, so I spent
some time watching it. As the day got brighter, I
moved on. My next sighting was a flock of 16
Glossy Ibises (Plegadis falcinellus) flying overhead.

About half a kilometer before the entrance gate to
Manjeera Dam is my favorite place. In this swampy
area, I saw two Black-headed Munias (Lonchura
malacca). J reluctantly turned my head away from
the Munias only to find a Baillon’s Crake (Porzana
pusilla) in the swamp — the highlight of the trip.
Having lost my field guide, my camera behaving
erratically and with my limited knowledge of
warblers, I was unable to identify or photograph an
unusually large warbler-like bird with a white throat.
There were Common Coots (Fulica atra) with
juveniles in the area.

It was only at the Manjeera entrance gate that I came
to know that not many BSAP members would be
coming. There were several Cotton Pygmy-goose
(Nettapus coromandelianus) all over the reservoir. A
couple of Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna ferruginea)
flew quite low giving an excellent opportunity to
observe them better. In the distance were Red-
crested Pochards (Rhodonessa rufina) and Common
Teals (Anas crecca).

At one end of Manjeera, in the marshes, I saw Purple
Swamphens (Porphyrio porphyrio), Common
Moorhens (Gallinula_ chloropus), White-breasted
Waterhens (Amaurornis phoenicurus), Bronze-
winged Jacanas (Metopidius indicus) with juveniles,
White-breasted Kingfishers (Halcyon smyrnensis)
and a Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea).

A couple of Pied Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis) and a
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) appeared briefly. A
Brahminy Starling (Sturnus pagodarum) was sitting
quietly on a wire. The aerodynamically molded
wings of cormorants made a loud noise as they
circled around. I decided not spend much time near

the water as I was not able to get close to the
waterfowl.

There were a number of ducks but they were too far
to be identified. Quickly coming back to the
entrance gate, I saw a number of Indian Golden
Orioles (Oriolus kundoo), Green Bee-eaters (Merops
orientalis) and a Greater Coucal (Centropus
sinensis). Another interesting sighting was a group
of 5 to 6 Black-headed Cuckooshrikes (Coracina
melanoptera), with a single male amidst them. A
solitary Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnus
malabaricus) was hanging on a tree.

Then I sighted a small raptor in the bushes. I chased
it from tree to tree to get a clear view. Finally the
bird came into the open at eye level and I found it to
be a male Shikra (Accipiter badius). As I took out
my binoculars and focused on it, the Shikra flew
very fast towards me and attacked me!! As I covered
my face with hands and binoculars, it flew past me,
just inches away, without hurting me. This is the
second time I was being attacked by a bird. On the
first occasion, it was a female Koel, and interestingly
enough, it was also at Sangareddy in 2008 March!

I then came back to my favorite place. A Bay-
backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) was scanning its
surroundings. In the nearby sugarcane fields was a
huge group of about 200 Streaked Weavers (Ploceus
manyar). | may not have spotted them if a Shikra
had not chased them without success. As the Shikra
left, the weavers came back giving me a very close
sighting. A small flock of Black-headed Ibises
(Threskiornis melanocephalus) landed adjacent to
the sugarcane field. Red Avadavats (Amandava
amandava), both male and female, were seen as I
was returning. It was a short but a very satisfying
trip with some interesting sightings.

Black-headed Ibis

Trip report - Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Hospet, Karnataka, 13-14 December 2009
Text and photos: Vijay Sirdesai

Sloth Bear

I had not gone anywhere for almost two months and
my fingers itched to photograph in the wild. So, I
decided to give myself a birthday gift! A few phone
calls to the right people and I was off to the Daroji
Bear Sanctuary - the only sanctuary dedicated to the
Sloth Bear in southern India. The place is also well
known for its birds.

A good solo drive later, I reached Kamalapur at
14:45 and was received by Mr. Pompaya Malemath,
a friend from India Nature Watch (the photo forum).
After a quick snack we were off to the Land of Sloth
Bears!

Painted Sandgrouse

We were welcomed to the sanctuary by none other
than the Painted Sandgrouse (Pterocles indicus).
After watching them for fifteen minutes, we took off
to a spot frequented by the bears - they are lured

here with honey and jaggery, which is applied on the
face of the rocks. This ensures the bears get their
favorite food and do not stray outside the sanctuary,
thereby reducing man-bear conflict. The bears are
now accustomed to this routine and gather in large
numbers by around noon and stay on till evening.

As we waited for the bears to show up, we were
thoroughly entertained by the Indian Palm Squirrel
(Funambulus palmarum), also known as_ Three-
striped Palm Squirrel. These tiny squirrels put up a
good show of agility and confidence. They jumped
across boulders, which were about 5-2 ft apart and
cleared the space with utmost ease each time.
Watching them was such a joy!

— sj
The whole place was bustling with activity - Jungle
Babblers (Turdoides_ striata), Rufous Treepies

(Dendrocitta vagabunda) and Ruddy Mongoose
(Herpestes smithii). We happily clicked away.

As if this was not sufficient, along came the most
incredibly beautiful couple. Yes! The Painted
Spurfowl (Galloperdix lunulata). Gradually, the
bears started to show up and we took a number of
pictures.

Painted Spurfowl

A little mishap occurred as we headed back. A tyre
of our vehicle burst and we found ourselves stranded
in the wilderness. It was already dark, the Sloth
Bears were out and about, and we had been told that
the sanctuary is home to leopards as well! Braving
these conditions, we changed the tyre as quickly as
possible and drove to safety.

But every cloud has a silver lining. On our way out
we spotted three Eurasian Thick-knees (Burhinus
oedicnemus) sitting in the middle of the road. I was
not about to miss this great opportunity to do night
photography! So, I put my newly acquired flashlight
(a strobe) to test and here is the result. No red-eye,
which a normal flash would give.

Eurasian Thick-knee

Dinner was at Hospet and we returned to the nature
camp for the night. The nature camp turned out to be
a wonderful birding place. That night I was told
about the Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) with 4
eggs, which had last been sighted about 15 days
back. The next morning, we were off to check it out,
and to our pleasure, we found 2 chicks, warm and
snug, cuddling up to the parent, who was keeping
the December chill away. A little time here (with no
intention to disturb a nesting bird), and off we went
to sight another beauty.

Eurasian Eagle-owl

The next stop was Hampi for the Yellow-throated
Bulbul (Pycnonotus xantholaemus) - a species of
bulbul endemic to southern peninsular India and
declared ‘Vulnerable’ on (IUCN 3.1) list.

Yellow-throated Bulbul 7

Lunch was at the University campus - again a great
birding spot. Soon it was time to bid adios to my
fellow INW’er who was with me right through my
visit and without whom the sightings would not have
been possible. My heartfelt gratitude to him.

The above are only a few of the 80 - 90 species of
birds that I saw that I felt were the highlights of my

trip. The number of mammals and birds at Daroji
Bear Sanctuary speaks volumes of the effective
management practices of the Forestry Department of
Karnataka. Special thanks to Mr. Sammad Kottur

(Wildlife Warden DBS) for the wonderful work he is
doing, thanks to Siva AN (fellow INW’er) for
putting me on to him and Mr. Ubaidulla Khan, the
DFO.

Some interesting sightings
Photos: K B Rao

Indian Courser

K B Rao reports sightings of 2 Indian Coursers
(Cursorius coromandelicus) and a flock of around
400 Red-headed Buntings (Emberiza_ bruniceps)
near Gongalur village (en route Sangareddy to
Singur in Medak district) on 25" December 2009.

Red-headed Bunting

He saw another 3 Indian Coursers the next day at the
same location.

He also reports sighting the Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx
torquilla) at Gandipet on 6" December 2009.

a
Eurasian Wryneck

Bird Of The Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Rosy Starling (Sturnus roseus)

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sturnidae
Genus: Sturnus
Species: S. roseus
Size: 21-23 cm

Description: A myna-like bird, the male is rose-pink
with a black head, neck, upper breast and tail. It also
has a shaggy black crest and black wings with a
blue-green gloss. Non-breeding and _first-winter
birds are much duller in colouration. The pink of the
plumage is partly obscured by buff fringes and the
black by greyish fringes. The juvenile is sandy-
brown and has a stout yellowish bill. The wing
feathers have broad paler fringes. The sexes are
alike.

Behaviour: Usually seen in small flocks or ‘clouds’
of up to 500 individuals. Among the earliest winter
visitors; begins arriving around July-August and
leaves by mid-April. Seen around open cultivation
(particularly jowari), damp grassland and semi-
desert country. Can do considerable damage to

ripening grain, but are also beneficial because they
destroy locusts on a large scale. The males have a
variable, warbling call consisting of both harsh and
pleasant notes, which are uttered mainly when
satiated and resting in the shade. The diet includes
banyan and peepul figs, lantana, peeloo and other
berries, and the nectar of simal flowers. It is
distributed all across India in winter; is seen
abundantly in north-western parts and the Deccan,
reducing towards the eastern parts of its range. Also
Pakistan; seen irregularly in Sri Lanka and the
Andamans.

Nesting: The Rosy Starling breeds in eastern
Europe, western and central Asia, on stony hillsides
and among ruins, in May and June. Breeding
grounds overlap those of the migratory locusts,
which provide the staple food of the Rosy Starlings
and their young from the time they hatch.

Local name: It is known as ‘pariki pitta’ or ‘palisa’
in Telugu, ‘gulabi myna’ in Hindi, ‘lal myna’ in
Bengali and ‘cholam kuruvi’ in Tamil.

Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) has become almost a festival for birdwatchers. Keen
birdwatchers, who are committed to conservation of waterbirds and wetlands, are involved in this
Census every year in the middle of January. It is also popularly known as Mid Winter Waterfowl
Census and is conducted by Wetlands International.

The Asian Waterbird Census for the year 2010 will be held from the 9" to the 25" of January. As
part of our contribution to the census, most of the main water bodies in Andhra Pradesh will be
covered. This exercise involves estimating numbers of various water birds. This data is used to
understand patterns of migration, habitat degradation and climate change. Those who are
interested in participating may contact Mr. Shafaatulla (98492-29552) or Mr. Umesh Mani
(93912-27173).

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

For information, write to: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, PO Box 45, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500034.
E-group: http://groups.google.co.in/group/bsap_online. Website: www.bsap.in. Society membership (in Rs.):
Admission: 100; Annual: 400 per annum; Student: 200 per annum; Life: 3000. (Add Rs 75 for outstation cheques.)

P# TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 02 February 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 21“ February 2010, Pocharam. Meeting Point: Hyderabad Central,
6AM.

Pocharam is a large reservoir on the Manjira River, about 70km downstream from Manjira Barrage. The
reservoir is situated amidst undulating hills, with dry deciduous forest and scrub jungle. The lake varies in
extent from 15,000 to 20,000 ha depending upon the season and fluctuations in rainfall. The lake is
known to support a wide variety of resident, as well as migratory waterfowl. More than 53 species of
waterfowl are listed for the area. Specialties include Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, and Bar-
headed Goose.

Members are requested to be on time as it is a two-hour-long drive. This will be a half-day trip. Please
carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla
(98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS

Thursday, 18" February 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office
Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally. Colourful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have fascinated
us since the dawn of history. In ‘Life of Birds’, David Attenborough, one of the world’s foremost
naturalists, hosts an extraordinary exploration into the secret lives of these magnificent creatures.

The first appointment is with To Fly or not to Fly — The history of birds, from the first flying reptiles to
today’s consummate navigators. From giant, extinct, flightless birds to modern ostriches and emus - see
how birds have made a claim to populate not only the air, but also the land.

Trip Report - ICRISAT, 17" January 2010
Text: Shefali Moorty, Photos: Umesh Mani

The group that went to ICRISAT was quite a large
one, which meant that there were a fair few eyes
spotting a fair few birds.

We were welcomed by Little Egrets (Egretta
garzetta) and Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) at the
gate. Indian Pond Herons (Ardeola grayii), Common
Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) and Black Drongos
(Dicrurus macrocercus) sat around — sunning
themselves.

After waiting a while for the stragglers, our
enthusiastic group boarded the bus and we soon
reached the first waterbody — the Campus Lake.

Here, we saw over 30 Spot-billed Ducks (Anas
poecilorhyncha), Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea),
Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) and Indian
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis) sitting close
to the water. Purple Swamphens (Porphyrio
porphyrio), Common Moorhens (Gallinula
chloropus) and Red-wattled Lapwings (Vanellus
indicus) were seen in large numbers walking around.
More than a hundred River Terns (Sterna aurantia)
flew overhead from lake to lake. Also spotted were
over 50 Lesser Whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna
javanica), several Common Sandpipers (Actitis
hypoleucos) and a Brown Crake (Amaurornis akool).

As the sun rose higher in the sky, warming up the
cold winter morning, an increasing number of birds
came out to soak up the sun. Among them were
Indian Rollers (Coracias benghalensis), Purple
Sunbirds (Nectarinia asiatica), Long-tailed (Lanius
schach) and Bay-backed Shrikes (Lanius vittatus),
and Paddyfield Pipits (Anthus rufulus).

Siberian Stonechat

A Siberian Stonechat (Saxicola torquata), along
with some Red Avadavats (Amandava amandava),
caused much excitement.

Common Hawk Cuckoo

A juvenile Common Hawk Cuckoo (Hierococcyx
varius) also gave great views, hopping around on a
tree just above head-height.

=~
ee,

Common Hawk Cuckoo

A number of Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) were
seen strutting around in their brilliant plumage. A
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) and some Eurasian
Marsh Harriers (Circus aeruginosus) flew low,
around the land.

We walked on, accompanied by Rose-ringed
Parakeets (Psitticula krameri), Green Bee-eaters
(Merops orientalis) and Barn Swallows (Hirundo
rustica). Ibises were seen in plenty — Black-headed
Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) in flocks of 9
tol0 each, around 25 Glossy Ibis (Plegadis
falcinellus) and over 30 Black Ibis (Pseudibis
papillosa). _Blue-tailed Bee-eaters (Merops
Dhilippinus) demonstrated their expertise in
preparing breakfast.

As we approached the fence adjoining Patancheru
Lake, we saw many of the commoners - Red-vented
Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer), Ashy Drongos
(Dicrurus leucophaeus), White-breasted Kingfishers
(Halcyon smyrnensis), Black-shouldered Kites
(Elanus caeruleus), a Bronze-winged Jacana
(Metopidius indicus), many Common Coots (Fulica
atra), Purple Herons (Ardea purpurea) and a couple
of Darters (Anhinga melanogaster).

Ashy Prinias (Prinia socialis), Asian Pied Starlings
(Sturnus contra), Baya Weavers (Ploceus
Philippinus), Indian Robins (Saxicoloides fulicata),
Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis) and
Large Grey Babblers (Turdoides malcolmi) sat in the
bushes. By far the best of the lot, however, was the
Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus) which made a
couple of over-flights before we lost sight of it.

Walking on, we soon reached a place that appeared
to be a dump, but had a lot of birds present. The
additions to our list included 3 Bluethroats (Luscinia
svecica), Red-rumped Swallows (Hirundo daurica),
Pied Bushchats (Saxicola caprata), Common
Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), more Red
Avadavats, Oriental Skylarks (Alauda gulgula),
Purple-rumped Sunbirds (Nectarinia zeylonica),
Indian Silverbills (Lonchura malabarica), Brahminy
Starlings (Sturnus pagodarum), White-browed
Wagtails, a Shikra (Accipiter badius), an Ashy-
crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix grisea) and one
of the brown flycatchers.

Bluethroat

At ‘Café Lake-View’ (our traditional breakfast spot),
we added a few more species to the day’s tally,
including Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus
himantopus), Painted Storks (Mycteria
leucocephala), Ruddy Shelducks (Tadorna
ferruginea), 5-6 Spot-billed Pelicans (Pelecanus
Dhilippensis), Northern Pintails (Anas acuta),
Common Teals (Anas crecca), Pied Kingfishers
(Ceryle rudis), Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata)

and Tufted Ducks (Aythya fuligula). Our hunger
appeased by the ‘pet-pooja’ that was going on
parallelly, we took the time to use the scope to good
effect, adding the always-special Eurasian Spoonbill
(Platalea leucocordia) from across the lake. Since it
is not seen so frequently, we took turns on the scope
watching the Spoonbill to our hearts’ content. Also
seen at the same spot were Little Grebes
(Tachybaptus ruficollis), Black-crowned Night
Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), a Small Blue
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), and an Indian Reed-
warbler (Acrocephalus brunnescens). Moving on,
we decided to drive around the lake to the far side,
hoping to get a better look at the Spoonbills. In the
process, we also got to see a solitary Great Egret
(Casmerodius albus) and a flock of around 40-50
Glossy Ibises from a close distance.

Dr Tom Hash, to whom we owe BSAP’s annual trip
to ICRISAT, told us about a new lake that ICRISAT
has created, and we decided to take a look at it
before calling it a day. There we saw Common
Hoopoes (Upupa epops), Greater Coucals
(Centropus sinensis), a Ruff (Philomachus pugnax),
a Spotted Owlet (Athene brama), an Eurasian
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) and a couple
of Whiskered Terns (Chlidonias hybridus). A
Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), Wood
Sandpipers (Tringa gareola) and Little Stints
(Calidris minuta) watched us pass by. Flying
overhead were a Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus
gallicus) and a White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur
teesa). Towards the end of the walk-around, our
attention was caught by 2 circling raptors. After
prolonged viewing and discussion, one was
identified as the Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax). The
other, though definitely looking like a falcon, was
too far to be identified positively.

By this time, the sun was beating down, and we
were all tired of walking. However, birding at
ICRISAT is incomplete without a visit to the Red
Lake, so we decided to drive past it on our way out.
On the way there, we surprised a Montagu’s Harrier
(Circus pygargus) sitting in an open field, which
took off hurriedly as soon as it saw our bus. We rued
the fact that had we spotted the Harrier and stopped
the bus a little earlier, we could have got good views
of another infrequently seen (or identified?) species.

At the Red Lake, though we did not alight from the
bus, we still got very good views of several Black-
headed Ibises nesting in the bushes on one of the
islands. There were also several Painted Storks,
Northern Shovelers, Ruddy Shelducks, Little and
Great Cormorants, adding colour to the scenery.

Darter

A little further on, we were treated to excellent
views of a Darter sunning itself on a dried-up tree in
the water, just a few meters from the shore. The
shutterbugs went wild, clicking away at a bird rarely
seen from up close.

Soon, it was time to move on. On our way out, a
flock of Black-headed Ibises bid us goodbye, nicely
rounding off another satisfying morning of birding.
ICRISAT had once again lived up to its reputation of
giving at least a clutch of sightings not easily seen in
other parts of the city.

Nesting Birds

‘Nesting Birds’ is a column that collates data on the
timing of nesting of birds in Andhra Pradesh.
Documenting and understanding the nesting habits
of birds is important as these could be related to
climatic changes and human interferences. To
participate, please write to sreekar1988 @gmail.com
with your observations on nesting species, date,
location and notes on behavior, number of nests,
nest-site selection if collected. [Please note: While

bird-watching, do remember the first rule of the
birder: the safety of the bird comes first. ]

The following observations of nesting birds were
made during December 2009 to January 2010.

Abbrevations used:

RS — R. Sreekar, SM — Shanti Mani, UM — Umesh
Mani, VSa — V. Santharam, VSi — Vijay Sirdesai,
YK — Yashada Kulkarni

Nesting birds:

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis

RS reports sighting of these birds with chicks on 10"
January in Nelapattu, Nellore.

Asian Openbill Anastomus oscitans
RS reports sighting of these birds with chicks on 10"

January in Nelapattu, Nellore.

Fulvous Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna bicolor
VSi reports sighting of these birds with chicks in

Kolleru on 26" January.

Black Kite Milvus migrans
RS reports sighting of these birds carrying nesting

material all over southern Andhra Pradesh. UM
reports sighting of these birds with nesting material
at Sainikpuri.

Rock Bush-Quail Perdicula argoondah

RS reports sighting of these birds with around 6
chicks on 17" December in Rishi Valley, Chittoor.

Common Coot Fulica atra

SM reports sighting of these birds with chicks on
29" December at Sanjeevaiah Park. RS reports
sighting of these birds with chicks on 8" January in
the lakes around Rishi Valley.

Dusky Crag Martin Hirundo concolor
RS and VSa sighted this bird nesting under a rock in

Rishi Valley on 24" January.

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri
SM reports sighting these birds nesting in coconut

trees on 20" December at Sainikpuri. RS reports

sighting these birds nesting in coconut trees on 1“
January at Rishi Valley.

Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata
RS reports sighting of these birds copulating in Rishi

Valley on 21° January. Breeding males had white
secondaries and breeding females developed dark
rufous vent and under-tail coverts.

Grey-breasted Prinia Prinia hodgsonii
RS reports sighting of these birds in breeding

plumages calling from high perches all day on 20"
January. Breeding adults had pinkish legs, reddish
wings and white beard.

Purple Sunbird Nectarinia asiatica
YK reports sighting of these birds nesting on 21"

January in Rishi Valley. Glossy males were
sighted/heard calling from tree tops all over Rishi
Valley in January. RS conducted a 2km line transect
outside Rishi Valley School and counted nine nests.
All the nine nests were built in spider webs on
thorny shrubs less than 6 feet from the ground.

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata
RS reports sighting of these birds nesting in thick

vegetation behind a road-side dhaba in mid-January
on Chittoor-Bangalore highway.

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
RS reports sighting of these birds nesting between

signboards in early January on Chittoor-Chennai
highway.

Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus
UM reports sighting of these birds nesting at

ICRISAT on 17" January.

Bird Of The Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Grey-bellied Cuckoo (Cacomantis passerinus)

Order: Cuculiformes
Family: Cuculidae
Genus: Cacomantis
Species: C. passerinus
Size: 23 cm

Description: A slim bird, the Grey-bellied Cuckoo is
dark grey above and whitish below with grey chin
and throat. It has a white-tipped black tail and black
wings with a white patch on the underside which is
prominent in flight. The female is similar but may
sometimes be ‘hepatic’, i.e. bright chestnut above
and on the throat, with black barring on the back and
on white underparts. The juvenile is either grey with
pale barring on underparts, or similar to hepatic
female, or somewhere in between. In its normal
plumage, the Grey-bellied Cuckoo may be confused
with Black-winged Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina
melaschistos) and, in the hepatic phase, with the
Banded Bay Cuckoo (Cacomantis sonneratii).

Behaviour: It is usually seen singly in scrub and
openly wooded country. It is arboreal, insectivorous

(Sainikpuri, December 20, 2009)

and has a hawk-like flight. Its normal call is a high-
pitched p’teer, p’teer, p’teer, or peter-peter. It also
has a plaintive whistling pee-pipee-pee...pipe-pee,
usually delivered from exposed tree-tops, with
depressed tail and drooping wings. The diet consists
of plant bugs, caterpillars and other insects. It is
distributed practically all across India south of the
Himalayas (except the arid North-West), and east to
Bhutan, Meghalaya and West Bengal. Also Pakistan
and Sri Lanka (in winter).

Nesting: The Grey-bellied Cuckoo nests between
July — September (coinciding with the South-
Western monsoon). It is parasitic mainly on
Tailorbirds and Ashy Prinias, with its eggs matching
theirs in colouration and markings to varying
extents.

Local name: It is known as ‘chinna katte pitta’
palisa’ in Telugu, ‘kuyil’ in Tamil and ‘cherukuyil’
in Malayalam.

Bird Humour
(This column features funny pictures or cartoons involving birds or bird-watching)

ANIMAL CRACKERS

HOW 0D YoU STANPOKN | ACTUALLY, THE HAKD
ONE LEG FOK SUCH LONG Pieris HLOING THE
PERIO7S OF EE OTHER ONE UP!

(From The Times of India, September 26, 2009)

Our member, T. Vijayendra, has published a book [see below] and has donated a few copies to
the BSAP. The book is priced at Rs 120/- and the entire sale proceeds are the author's donation to
the Society. Those of you wishing to buy a copy can reserve it through an email to
bsap.ap@gmail.com and send your payment by DD/cheque favouring “BIRDWATCHERS
SOCIETY OF ANDHRA PRADESH” to the address given below, by ordinary post. No couriers
please.

"This book is an attempt to present, in as simple and
ane straight forward a way as possible, the present crisis
Pan radise [of global warming]. It also offers some solutions that

the author believes will help Indians, activists in

particular, to prepare for such a transition."

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

P< TA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 03 March 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 21° March 2010, 6AM: Narsapur Reserve Forest, Medak Dt.

Spanning an area of 30 to 40 sq km, Narsapur Forest is one of the most popular birding spots around the
city. The forest is rich in small woodland birds, woodpeckers and flycatchers. The lake and its environs
should also promise interesting sightings. This will be a full-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and
snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs.
Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS

Thursday, 25 March 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office Complex,
Hill Fort Road, Nampally. Colourful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have fascinated us since the
dawn of history. In ‘Life of Birds’, David Attenborough, one of the world’s foremost naturalists, hosts an
extraordinary exploration into the secret lives of these magnificent creatures.

This second appointment is with The Mastery of Flight — For all their grace and agility, birds face serious
challenges in getting into the air, staying there, and landing safely. Among their many adaptations is the
single weight-saving feature that only birds possess — feathers.

Trip Report — Pocharam, 21* Febuary 2010
Pratik Gupte

Bar-headed Geese & up-ending Northern Pintails (Photo: Vikram Reddy)

Having missed BSAP trips for nearly a year, I entire group had gathered, we set off for Pocharam
thought I should make it a point to go on this one. So Reservoir. Sanket and I were given a ride by Mr.
my brother, Sanket, and I met the others at Ajit Kumar, for whom this was a first birding trip
Hyderabad Central on the morning of 21°. Once the with the BSAP. I barely noticed the 100-kilometre

distance, as it was not a route I knew, but we passed
through Narsapur Forest along the way - a favourite
BSAP haunt.

As we reached Pocharam at around 8:30AM, we
took a few looks around, registering each other in
our minds, and then turned to the lake, which
seemed to have shrunk quite a bit, from what I
remember of it. The first thing we noticed was about
300 Bar-headed Geese (Anser indicus).

Greater Flamingos (Photo: Vikram Reddy)

There were also around 350 Greater Flamingos
(Phoenicopterus rubber) scattered in two or three
main flocks around the lake, with some more on the
far side. As we proceeded towards the lake's edge,
we spotted quite a few more birds. The Red-wattled
Lapwings (Vanellus indicus) were very intent on
chasing away, both, an intruding Shikra (Accipiter
badius) and us at the same time, constantly keeping
up their calls of “Did you do it, did you do it....”.

Red-wattled Lapwing (Photo: Vikram Reddy)

Also seen was a pair of Ashy-crowned Sparrow
Larks (Eremopterix grisea) and a few Paddyfield
Pipits (Anthus rufulus).

As we had a couple of first timers, there was the
inevitable discussion and advice session on
binoculars, guides, etc. An unexpected sight was a
flock of Spot-billed Pelicans (Pelecanus
philippensis), accompanied by a group of Asian
Openbills (Anastomus oscitans) - these, however,
did not land.

The lake, as we soon noticed, was full of hundreds
of ducks of various species, among which were
Northern Pintails (Anas acuta), Cotton Pygmy-goose
(Nettapus coromandelianus), Common Teals (Anas
crecca), Garganeys (Anas querquedula), Lesser
Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) and Spot-
billed Ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha). Also seen by
Kulkarni uncle were a few Brahminy Ducks
(Tadorna ferruginea) (for some reason now called
Ruddy Shelducks) and some Northern Shovelers
(Anas clypeata), whose numbers did not seem to be
as large as that of the others.

ss ys
ra tee : aK.

Little Ringed Plover (Photo: ‘Humayun Taher)

Walking down to the lake we saw both Little Ringed
(Charadrius placidus) and Kentish (Charadrius
alexandrinus) Plovers, of which Humayun got good
shots with a prosumer cam. There was a distinct lack
of artillery style lenses, with only a Canon and an
Olympus for representation. We set up temporary
camp in a small hollow that had been left dry when
the lake retreated, with all further sightings from
there.

High on Humayun's list for spotting was the Black-
bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda), of which we saw a
couple; also seen was the commoner River Tern
(Sterna aurantia), with all the accompanying jokes
about left, right and about turns. He was also
convinced about the presence of a couple of, or at
least one Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
in the flocks of Greater, and also observed that the
state of the wetland was in decline, as indicated by
the presence of Common Coot (Fulica atra) and
Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus). He
also conducted snap tests with the first-timers about
various birds, the most hilarious being the
differences between swallows and swifts, which
people managed to mix up even in the field-guides.
All teaching somewhat ceased when a group of
Eurasian Wigeons (Anas penelope), and a few
Common Pochards (Aythya ferina) were spotted, but
what really caught everyone's attention was a single
Red-crested Pochard (Rhodonessa rufina) in the
same flock. We also saw quite a few Glossy Ibises
(Plegadis falcinellus) and two Black-tailed Godwits
(Limosa limosa).

Black-winged Stilt (Photo: Vikram Reddy)

We decided to turn back to the cars, as the sun was
making the day hotter by the minute. We piled into
the cars and drove to an abandoned, or at least,

untended bungalow, to one side of which there was a
large tree. We sat in its shade and began the process
of breakfast. Seen was a peculiar form of behaviour
by Little (Phalacrocorax niger) and Great (P. carbo)
Cormorants, where they moved across the water in a
flotilla, and then flew back to where they had
started. Kullu uncle sagely told us that this was a
feeding strategy. A Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea),
one we had seen earlier, seemed to have followed us
to the tree, as it was not far from the lake's shore. It
stood there in the water aptly fitting its description
of ‘..emaciated looking heron, with extremely long
neck....’. Suddenly, a Blue Rock Thrush (Monticola
solitarius) was spotted which threw everyone into
full gear, as they started pulling out binoculars and
cameras.

as
Pied Kingfisher (Photo: Janardhan Reddy)

Mention must be made of the Indian Grey Hornbills
(Ocyceros birostris), which welcomed us_ to
Pocharam, and a Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia),
which some of us spotted; these, of course, were
apart from the ‘ordinary’ birds. Special mention
must be made of the Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila
clanga), which managed to keep itself hidden in
plain view, masquerading as a Black Kite, so
bypassing our notice. We left soon after, lost our
way, got ourselves on the wonderful NH7 and
managed to get to Hyderabad in record time. An
interesting trip, all in all.

A trip report from another perspective!
Pocharam, 21* Febuary 2010
M Shafaat Ulla

Welcome to the newcomers!

As advised in the PITTA, we all gathered at
Punjagutta crossroads at six in the morning. One
good thing about this trip was some enthusiastic,
new faces. Humayun picked me up, along with
Kullu and Shanti (no - not our editor), an M.Tech.,
now pursuing German language under our very own
professor, JVD Moorty. We were joined by Ajit
Kumar saab, a retired official from the Geological
Survey of India. He kindly accommodated Pratik
and Sanket, very regular birdwatchers but seen after
along time. Asif came along with two friends of his
and agreed to take Nilay Raha, an MBA, now
working for a communications company. Just then a
Skoda rolled up carrying Janardhan, Vikram and
Prithvi Reddy — the last was my classmate from
Hyderabad Public School. He is a pediatric surgeon
settled in USA and is now on a holiday. A little later
Minhaj followed with his family.

The convoy started with our car in the lead as only
Kullu knew the way. At about 8AM we made a pit
stop at Medak, and after a hot cuppa, reached
Pocharam Lake at about 8.30AM. We parked at the
usual spot - a high ground overlooking the lake.

The sight that greeted us was just fabulous! Right
on the shore were about 350 Bar-headed Geese. A
little beyond, in the water, were thousands of ducks
(in excess of 4000) followed by a neat line of
Greater Flamingos (around 450 at least). What a
sight it was!

Sat ly Ba a adds
« i ' (ite gare re ite ‘ey

Greater Flamingos (Photo: Humayun Taher)

We all got out of our cars with cameras, tripods,
spotting scopes and field-guides in place, and after
having had a good ‘dekko’ and briefing the
newcomers in the art of birdwatching, we decided to
venture closer to the water’s edge. As we were
about 200 feet from the water, the geese took off and
settled at a distance. Because of their size, they still
afforded good sighting. The ducks did not panic as
they normally allow birders to come near, and
therefore, we inched a little closer for a better look.
The flamingos stayed put as they were at some
distance anyway.

Photo: Vikram Reddy

It was a great opportunity for the newcomers Shanti,
Ajit and Nilay and also for some of us as we
identified different species of ducks under the expert
guidance of Humayun, who went on to explain the
diagnostic features of different species. It went
something like this - “notice the pin in the tail of the
Pintail, the yellow spot on the bill of the Spot bill,
the eye stripe of the Garganey, the whitish ‘tilak’ on
the head of the Wigeon, the difference between the
Red-crested Pochard and the Common Pochard - the
Red-crested being very similar to the Common
Pochard but for the pink bill of the former, and hey,
what’s that to the left with a strange black bill?”
“Well, that’s a Shoveler, so named because its bill is
like a shovel”, and so on and so forth as we
identified at least 10 species of ducks.

It was the same story when it came to waders —
“Black-winged Stilts — red-coloured daddy-long-
legs, Black-tailed Godwit - observe the long bill
with a black tip and black tail, Little Ringed Plover,
see the rings on the chest,” and many more. It was
extremely educative and interesting.

There was excitement in the air as 5 Spot-billed
Pelicans circled majestically overhead, followed by
a flock of Eurasian Openbills in formation, but both
decided not to land and disappeared from the scene.

We spent considerable time observing the birds and
also photographing them from various angles. Asif
was a sight to see - creeping on his belly to get a
closer shot!

Photo: Vikram Reddy

Time just flew and we realized that it was past 11:30
and the sun was really hot. We therefore decided,
rather reluctantly, to head for the guesthouse
premises, where we spread ourselves under a shady
tree to do justice to our famished stomachs. After a
hearty brunch, we all headed home, with a very
memorable birding trip behind us.

Nature Orientation Program by Asian Wildlife Foundation
Text: S. Ashok Kumar, Photos: Ram Rudra

Asian Wildlife Foundation, Hyderabad, organized a
Nature Orientation Programme from 12 — 14
February, 2010, at Valamur Tented Camp,
Rampachodavaram Mandal, East Godavari District,
for the students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan School,
Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. The main activities of the
programme were nature treks in the moist, deciduous
forests, visits to coffee and medicinal plantations,
and a PowerPoint presentation on the Biodiversity of
Andhra Pradesh.

: : A‘
Ultramarine Flycatcher

During the bird watching trips into the nearby forest,
Ram Rudra, an Engineering student, who was the
resource person, identified the beautifully coloured
Ultramarine Flycatcher, a rare sight in the Eastern
Ghats. Apart from several local birds, the Malabar
Trogon and the Black-capped Kingfisher were also
sighted.

ya im
Malabar Trogon

Bird of the Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense)

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Sylviidae
Genus: Chrysomma
Species: C. sinense
Size: 18 cm

Description: This babbler is cinnamon and chestnut-
brown above, and is white on the underside till the
belly, with the rest of the undersides being light-to-
darker brown. It has yellow irises and a prominent
yellow-orange ring around the eyes, white lores and
supercilium. There are 3 races, differentiated mainly
on colouration. The sexes are alike.

Behaviour: It is usually seen singly or in small
parties in scrub, thorn jungle, bamboo, grass and
reed-beds, in dry-deciduous areas. Commonly seen
in patches separating cultivated fields. Tends to cling
to reed stems sideways or upside-down like a tit. A
great skulker, it is not seen easily even when its
presence is known. When startled, it hops away and
disappears through the undergrowth, emitting harsh
tittering notes. The flight is feeble and jerky. Its call

(Sainikpuri, Hyderabad, February 28, 2010)

is a clear, somewhat plaintive, loud cheep, cheep,
cheep. In breeding season, males climb up to the top
of bushes and sing a loud and sweet song. The diet
consists mainly of spiders and insects; also berries
and flower nectar. It is distributed practically all
across India (except some parts of the North-west
and North-east); also Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Myanmar and Sri Lanka; in plains and up to about
1500m.

Nesting: The Yellow-eyed Babbler nests between
June—September (coinciding with the South-western
monsoon). The nest is a deep, neat cup of grasses
cemented and plastered over with cobwebs. Nests
are usually in bushes, rarely above 1m from the
ground. It lays 4-5 eggs, which are yellowish-white
speckled with purplish-brown. Both sexes share
parental duties.

Local name: It is known as ‘yerra kali-jitta’ in
Telugu and ‘bulal-chasm’ or ‘gulab-chasm’ in
Hindi.

Bird Humour

Keep YOUR
Eyes PEELED

The Perils Of Call Playback!
(Courtesy: Sumit Sen, Kolkata)

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

kar

PIA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 04 April 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 18" April 2010, 6:00AM: Nehru Zoological Park, Mir Alam.

When not watching the creatures in the cages, one can discover that the zoo is actually a good place for
bird watching. The lions’ enclosure and the various tanks hold lot of ground and small birds and a number
of water birds. Stone Curlews have been known to breed near the Sambhar enclosure. By March-April
migrants begin withdrawing, so one can expect to see some stragglers still around. Earlier trips have given
us interesting sightings and observations, and this one may throw a few surprises as well.

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate,
please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: Thursday, 15" April 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203,
Hermitage Office Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally.

Mr. S. Ashok Kumar, who is a Co-opted member of the AP Biodiversity Board and a member of the
Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, will present three short films shot by the UK Environment Film
Fellowship, funded by the British Council and by the British High Commission of India.

The three films are ‘Leopards in the Lurch’, “Once there was a Purple Butterfly” and “Corals —
Diminishing Resources’’. The duration of these films is 14 minutes each. Each film will be followed by
an interactive session.

Trip Report — Narsapur, 21** March 2010
Anjali Pandey

Coppersmith Barbet (Photo: Humayun Taher)

The field outing to Narsapur attracted quite a few regulars and accepted into the group with a friendly
first timers including me. At the meeting point, we ease, which seems to be so common amongst birders
introduced ourselves, some with enthusiasm, some everywhere.

still a bit shy. We were welcomed warmly by the

We headed north out of the city limits taking the
Medak road, crossing the Jeedimetla Industrial Area.
The stench of chemicals and the continuous line of
plastic waste strewn along the road, marked the
boundary of the industrial area.

The first group that reached the little temple near the
forest was greeted by Small Minivets (Pericrocotus
cinnamomeus), which the rest of us missed. Soon we
all entered the track leading into the forest. It was a
warm morning. The forest vegetation consisted of
dry, deciduous trees like Teak, the bright-red
flowering Palash, Babool, etc.

Small Minivet (Photo: Humayun Taher)

The first sighting, which got everyone excited, was a
pair of Blue-faced Malkohas (Phaenicophaeus
viridirostris). For the first timers it was a nice long
sighting of this shy bird. Walking on the dirt track
we spotted more common birds like the Red-vented
Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), Pale-billed Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum erythrorhynchos), Ashy Prinia (Prinia
socialis), Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
and Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri).
Oriental Magpie Robins (Copsychus saularis) were
singing from their perches. We tried listening to the
different calls and soon everyone was asking about
different calls emanating from the forest cover.
Humayun was the inspiration behind our
enthusiastic “listening” efforts. But none could hear
the Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
calling, till it was pointed out! Spotted Doves
(Streptopelia chinensis) were everywhere, and so
were Indian Robins (Saxicoloides fulicata).

Further ahead we saw a Rufous-winged Bushlark
(Mirafra assamica). A lifer for me, which I would
not have been able to identify but for the expert
guidance. We saw a bird with reddish legs and beak,

streaks on the breast, singing a wonderfully
melodious song but we could not identify it.

Indian Golden Oriole (Female) (Photo: Asif Husain)

Along the small water stream we spotted White-
throated Kingfishers (Halcyon smyrnensis), an Asian
Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) and an
Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo). There was
one Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) flying
around and few Black-rumped Flamebacks
(Dinopium benghalense) too. In flight we also saw a
pair of tiny sparrows called “Yellow-throated
Sparrows” earlier, now very impressively called the
Chestnut-shouldered Petronia (Petronia
xanthocollis). White-browed Bulbuls (Pycnonotus
luteolus) were seen many times, which provided a
good opportunity for the new birders to observe the
distinguishing features of the bird closely. Oriental
White-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosus) were spotted
next followed by Green Bee-eaters (Merops
orientalis) indulging in those enchanting flights to
catch insects.

Black-rumped Flameback (Photo: Humayun Taher)

With a growing list we came across the second most
exciting bird of the day - a Blue-capped Rock
Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus). Some of us
were lucky enough to get a good look at the bird.
After a lot of interesting deliberations it was
identified based on the white spot on the flanks — a
distinguishing feature. It is a beautiful blue bird with
a rufous underside. It is not resident here and spends
the summer in open, dry forests. During winters, it is
found in the Western Ghats and flies to the
Himalayas in the summer.

Black Kite (Photo: Humayun Taher)

As the heat increased with the rising sun, it was time
for a few raptors. There was a Tawny Eagle (Aquila
rapax) cruising over our heads. We learnt the day’s
lesson: How to identify a Tawny Eagle. The straight
wings, without the typical eagle-like slight curve,
very clearly distinguishes it from any other eagle.

Brahminy Starling (Photo: Asif Husain)

Crossing over into the other part of the forest across
the road, we saw Large Cuckooshrikes (Coracina
macei), Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers (Cyornis
tickelliae), Brahminy Starlings (Sturnus
pagodarum), a Great Tit (Parus major), and
Common Ioras (Aegithina tiphia).

By now it was time to get some ‘fuel’. So in the
august company of a big and energetic party of
Rhesus Macaques we had breakfast. The Indian
Grey Hornbills decided to pay multiple visits,
causing a big commotion among the tiny baby
monkeys frolicking in the trees.

Short-toed Snake Eagle (Photo: Asif Husain)

Other sightings of the day were Jungle Babblers
(Turdoides striatus), Yellow-billed Babbler (T.
affinis), Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus),
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala),
Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica), Purple-rumped
Sunbird (N. zeylonica), Shikra (Accipiter badius),
Crested Treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata), Greater
Coucal (Centropus sinensis), Blue-winged Leafbird
(Chloropsis cochinchinensis), Black Drongo
(Dicrurus macrocercus), Short-toed Snake Eagle
(Circaetus gallicus, ), and Black-headed
Cuckooshrike (Coracina melanoptera).

Intermediate Egrets (Mesophoyx intermedia), a
hovering Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), Great
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), Wood

a Sandpipers (Tringa glareola), Common Sandpipers
(Actitis hypoleucos), Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), a
. Purple Heron (A. purpurea), River Terns (Sterna
— —— aurantia) and Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis).
= = = a = = = |

= = == ——

We also saw a nest of the Indian Robin with chicks

—> SS in it on a very low branch near the lake. We quickly

Large Egret landing (Photo: Asif Husain) left it alone so that the kids playing around would

not see it and damage it in their enthusiasm. After a

After breakfast we decided to visit the Narsapur nice cup of tea in a roadside restaurant we called it a

Lake. Along with a lot of bathing buffaloes and day. With warm calls of “See You” and “Nice

Homo sapiens we spotted Black-winged Stilts Meeting You”, we exchanged mobile numbers. It
(Himantopus — himantopus), Asian _—_ Openbills was an extremely nice day spent with birds.

(Anastomus oscitans), Painted Storks (Mycteria
leucocephala), Great Egrets (Casmerodius albus),

An Accidental Birdwatcher!
The First Birding Experience of a Beginner
Nilay Raha

It was in the early hours of the morning after Diwali that Sharad sir, Umesh, Sivaji and I met at Begumpet
crossroads to start our journey to Himayatsagar. When I was informed by Sharad sir that we would be going to
Himayatsagar for half a day, I assumed it was to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of the place. Little did I know that the
next few hours were going to be the beginning of my foray into birdwatching.

Within an hour we reached Himayasagar and suddenly all the equipment - binoculars, digital cameras, field
guides, etc., started coming out from everybody’s bags. All this led me to wonder as to why binoculars would be
needed to view the scenic beauty of Himayatsagar. I soon realized that I was, now, part of a bird watching group!

With no clue whatsoever about birding, I tried spotting birds through the big binoculars handed over to me, but
could not spot even one during the first few hours. Since I was a novice, I struggled hard. From the roadside we
slowly proceeded towards the fallow land near the lake. After all my efforts, the first bird that I could clearly view
through the binocular was a Green Bee-eater. It made its way into my heart due to its bright green colour. My
immediate reaction after viewing the beauty was - “it’s awesome”!!! A number of them were fluttering from one
branch to another (all these trees were located in the vicinity of the lake). We also saw several tiny birds
searching for insects in the marshy low land. The group then spotted a flying Pied Kingfisher and this was my
bird of the day. I had never dreamt I would view such a beautiful species of Kingfisher with such a beautiful
colour combination of black and white!

Quote of the Day (mentioned by one of the group members): I always note down the names of the birds that has
been spotted in the day. This helps me to refer back to the field guide in order to understand the difference in
physical features among the species or sub-species.

Now I too follow this tip religiously whenever I go bird-watching. That first trip was great fun, and I realized that
Thad found a new hobby!

Bird of the Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Dusky Crag Martin (Hirundo concolor)

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Hirundinidae
Genus: Hirundo
Species: H. concolor
Size: 13 cm

Description: This bird is sooty-brown above and
below, and has a short, square tail and swallow-like
wings and flight. It has a round white spot an all tail
feathers except the middle and outermost ones,
which are clearly visible when the bird wheels or
banks in flight. The sexes are alike. In winter, the
migratory Eurasian Crag Martin (H. rupestris) is
also seen along with the Dusky Crag Martin, but can
be distinguished by its slightly larger size and
whitish under-parts.

Behaviour: It is usually seen in small numbers
around cliffs, rock caves, dams, ruined forts, etc, in
company with swifts and swallows. The flight is

(Himayatsagar, Hyderabad, October 19, 2009)

swallow-like and it utters a soft chit-chit as it flies. It
is insectivorous and it hawks midges and other tiny
winged insects in the air. Its distribution is patchy
but practically all across India (except the North-
east); absent in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and
Sri Lanka.

Nesting: The Dusky Crag Martin nests mainly
between June — October (when wet mud is easily
obtained for nest-building). The nest is a somewhat
deep oval saucer of mud lined with feathers, etc, and
is usually attached to a vertical rock face or wall,
under natural overhangs or arches in buildings. It
lays 2-3 eggs, which are white, minutely speckled
and spotted with reddish-brown. Both sexes share
parental duties.

Local name: It is known as ‘katrika-pakshi’
(‘brinjal-bird’) in Malayalam and ‘chatan ababil’ in
Hindi.

Bird Humour

“‘He’s evidently the dominant sibling.”

Survival of the Fittest!
(From Reader’s Digest, January 2010)

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

kar

PIA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 05 May 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 16" May 2010, 6:00AM: Sanjeevaiah Park, Necklace Road.

Spread out over 90 acres, this park, abutting the Hussain Sagar Lake in the heart of the city, is a
great spot for birding. Though the migrants would have long gone by now, sightings of a
number of resident species make for a fruitful summer morning. The shady trees offer refuge to
quite a few birds. Many of them should be nesting now, especially the Orioles, Sunbirds,
Drongos, Asian Pied Starlings, etc. Leafbirds have been seen occasionally, so also

Coppersmiths. The lakeshore should offer some waders and it may be possible to glimpse some
Terns and Gulls.

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to
co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-
08302).

An Appeal from BNHS

Birds need you this summer.

Summer is at its peak. It has already crossed 37C.
Many birds die in summer due to lack of water. Place water pots
for thirsty birds in Terraces, Compound wall & Balconies.

Trip Report — Nehru Zoological Park, 18" April 2010

Anjali Pande

Baya Weaver weaving its nest (Photo: Ismail Shariff)

Suppose you were a bird, migrating mainly to avoid
extremes of heat and cold, would you choose to be
in Hyderabad? I guess not! Not with the mercury
soaring to 42°C and the scorching sun beating down
since weeks! Well, I joined the birding group on
Sunday, not expecting to see too many birds and,
definitely not, migrants in the zoo. But the day
proved very fruitful, yielding a tally of 54 birds,
which included 2 migrant species and a great Bird of
the Day - a Black Bittern (Dupetor flavicollis)!

We started our walk from the safari entrance; a large
group, which included many photographers with
their impressive optical gear. The best part was that
we were birding with some old hands at the game!
They instructed us about a few basic birding norms
and then we started walking, taking a left from the
entrance.

Some common birds and a cacophony of birdcalls
greeted us. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus
saularis) - a sweet singer- was spotted giving a
brilliant early morning rendition of its own favourite
tune! Numerous Rose-ringed Parakeets (Psittacula
krameri) were flying around, bustling to feast on the
raw mangoes. These are loud feeders! Equally chatty
were the Yellow-billed Babblers (Turdoides affinis)
and Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis). The first
excitement of the day came in the form of a
Common Hawk Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius),
flying low from one tree to another. It sat on the
lower branches, so we could have a good look at the
bird. The distinctive bands on the tail, the yellow
iris, the rufous breast, ash grey above (almost like a

Shikra) - this is the bird we all know as the
“Brainfever Bird”.

i
Common Hawk Cuckoo (Photo: KB Rao)

Further on, we saw a Grey Mongoose, perhaps
getting ready to start off on a hunting expedition. We
also saw the shy but inquisitive Spotted Deer. High
up in the sky were some Asian Palm Swifts
(Cypsiurus balasiensis) along with some
unidentified Swallows. Loud alarm calls of the Red-
wattled Lapwings (Vanellus indicus) drew us on.
Near one open area, there were Black Kites (Milvus
migrans) on different trees, giving rise to a
commotion in the Lapwing colony. March to August
is the nesting season of the Red-wattled Lapwing,
and we saw quite a few of them, loud and noisy, at
many places in the zoo.

Rufous Treepie (Photo: Asif Husain)

Indian Grey Hornbills (Ocyceros birostris) made a
quick entry, followed by a Rufous Treepie
(Dendrocitta vagabunda). A pond yielded a White-
breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus),
White-browed Wastails (Motacilla
maderaspatensis) and a Common _ Kingfisher
(Alcedo Atthis). A little further down there was
another small marshy area, hidden from the walkway
by some trees. And there on two trees were Grey
Herons (Ardea cinerea), Painted Storks (Mycteria
leucocephala) and 6 adults and one juvenile Black-
crowned Night Herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), all
roosting quietly.

Black-crowned Night Heron (Photo: KB Rao)

We kept walking along the laid down pathway, and
saw the brilliant yellow Indian Golden Oriole
(Oriolus kundoo). The beauty of this bird is dazzling
with its bright colours, especially on a sunny
summer morning! Next we saw a feeding family of
Grey Francolins (Francolinus pondicerianus) with a
very cute, small chick. The youngster was quite
smart and diligently followed the elders. In the same
huge enclosure we saw our first migratory bird of
the day, a flock of Rosy Starlings (Sturnus roseus)
atop a small tree. They are supposed to leave by
mid-April, so we were lucky to see them. It is
humbling to see these little birds and to think that
they fly away to the breeding grounds as far away as
Eastern Europe, Central and Western Asia!

Black-rumped Flameback (Photo: Asif Husain)

We saw 4 Asian Pied Starlings (Sturnus contra)
feeding on the ground. March onwards seems to be
the nesting season of many resident birds. We saw a
Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense)
pecking busily at a thick tree trunk and on the next
branch of the same tree was the nest of a
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala).
The Barbet peeped out from its nest hole, which was
perfectly round shaped. It then came out, sat around
watching what the Flameback was doing, then lost
patience and finally just chased away the much
bigger Flameback!

Further on there was a big lake on the right side of
the path. It had two Wood Sandpipers (Tringa
glareola), our second migratory bird of the day.
They were busy feeding on the marshy lakeshore.
It’s a brownish bird, with conspicuous white spots
on the flanks and a supercilium. This little wader,
that funnily bobs its tail up and down, also flies
away to North European and North Asian marshes to
its breeding grounds!

ee —— ae
— = =

Spot-billed Duck (Photo: Asif Husain)

Our resident ducks - the Spot-billed Ducks (Anas
poecilorhyncha) - were in the lake, along with
Black-winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus), all
busy feeding. The bigger lake had many Great
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), sunning
themselves on the dry trees in the water, and one
Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans). The lake had
a very good reed bank and there among the reeds,
Aasheesh Pittie spotted a Black Bittern. This was
our Bird of the Day. Black Bitterns have long,
vertical stripes along their neck, so when they stand
with their neck extended upwards, they get
camouflaged in the slender reeds. It is about the size
of a Night Heron, but bulkier and it hides its black
body in the reeds perfectly. It stayed for a few
minutes and vanished, so not everyone got to see it.

~~ — > ~~
™

White-throated Kingfisher (Photo: Asif Husain)

After a very quick breakfast we walked to the newly
opened stork enclosure where one can observe all
the different storks at the same time. On the final leg
of the walk Mr. Varaprasad joined us and we got to
know that there was a gregarious flowering of
bamboo in the zoo area, which means all bamboo
plants flower at the same time. It happens once in 30
years. After flowering, all the bamboo trees die and
need to be removed to avoid their catching fire in
summer.

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (Photo: KB Rao)

Plum-headed Parakeet (Photo: Asif Husain)

Finally some of the other interesting birds seen:
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae),

Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops), Indian Robin
(Saxicoloides fulicata), White-throated Kingfisher
(Halcyon smyrnensis), Indian Peafowl (Pavo
cristatus), Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus),
Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea), Little Egret
(Egretta garzetta), Cattle Egret (in breeding
plumage) (Bubulcus ibis), Intermediate Egret
(breeding plumage) (Mesophoyx intermedia), Indian
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis), Little
Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger), Common
Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Ashy Prinia
(Prinia socialis), Purple-rumped Sunbird
(Nectarinia zeylonica), Pied Bushchat (Saxicola
caprata), Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio),
Large-billed Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), Greater
Coucal (Centropus sinensis), Common Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus), Baya Weaver (Ploceus
philippinus), a pair of Blue-faced Malkoha
(Phaenicophaeus viridirostris) and Plum-headed
Parakeets (Psittacula cyanocephala).

vA ;
| %
Blue-faced Malkoha (Photo: Ismail Shariff)

It had become quite hot and we had reached the
entrance of the safari. Many of the participants had
already left, so we called it a day. It was great to go
birding in the zoo, and to see that a lot many free
birds and animals share that 380 acres area.

My Sensational Debut!
Surekha Aitabathula

It took just half a day’s trip to the zoo to make me a
birder for life. Yes it’s official now. I am an
incorrigible and confirmed birder!

It all started with me waking up over-zealously at
04:30 am on a beautiful Sunday morning. Excited,
enthusiastic and raring to go, I waited for my friends
to pick me up and we all headed to the zoo. I noticed
that I was quite chirpy during our drive to the zoo.
You see I was emulating the birds I was going to
watch soon. Watch the birds I did and how

The first bird to steal my heart was the Black-
rumped Flameback with its brilliant colouring. It had
a red head with a golden back! I stared at him or her
(?) with and without binocs, for a long time. He was
so interesting to watch. The most beautiful moment
of my trip came when we all fell silent to hear the
distinctly loud and clear 'tuck tuck tuck' sound that
the flameback made as he pecked at the tree. I was
amazed at the loud sound he could make because his
beak was not too large. The force with which he hit
the tree was evident in the resonant 'tuck' sound he
made. Wow! For a novice birder like me the moment
was surreal!

No exaggeration when I say that I met the nicest
bunch of birdwatchers. They all came from an
assortment of professions. There were businessmen,
a professor and student of German, Environmental
Educationist (who benevolently lent his binocs to me
and never asked for it till the end of the trip!),
editorial writer, techies, book shop owner doubling
up as an ace photographer, a homemaker with a huge
high tech zoom lens, a little but knowledgeable
(about birds) school kid, plenty of lensmen and three
of the nicest forest officials who accompanied us on
our trail. It was interesting as to how I didn’t need to
break ice with any of these wonderful birders. There
was this instant click at first sight! The love of birds
brought us together.

I was drinking in this rich first experience of bird
watching like the one who has been thirsty for so
long. I was impressed at the vast knowledge of one
seniormost ace birder who spotted a bittern for all of
us far away in the reeds with the naked eye! (Not
only birds he knew a lot about giraffes too!). Such
was my eagerness that I sulked for a while when I
couldn’t spot the bittern although two or three kind
birders tried to direct my eye towards it.

I perceived the generous inclusiveness when this
kind, senior birder gave me thorough advice on the
technicalities of good binoculars and where exactly I
must scout for it, etc. I felt welcome. What I liked
about the experts in the group was the way they
imparted their knowledge. They didn’t talk down.
They happily shared their expertise. I was the only
ignoramus of the group but I was the happiest
ignoramus who was so eager to learn.

I patted myself on my back, having seen 20 types of
birds on my first ever trip. Not bad for a first timer, I
thought. The highest number of birds spotted was
45! Lucky birder this!

I felt drawn to the birds. I felt a great connect with
them. I felt a great binding thread of affection for
them that still tugs at my heart. At one point of time
when I saw several cormorants, egrets and spot
billed ducks around a small water body, I heard
myself praying, 'God, please let there always be
enough fish for all of them to eat’.

The birds however were going about their daily
schedule unmindful of gaping birders. A proud and
still Black Kite perched atop a tree completely bereft
of leaves, fascinated me no end. Equally fascinating
was the beautiful Treepie with its striped markings. I
stared at the incredible beauty of an Ibis and believe
me when I tell you that I did not get an eyeful. When
I was told how the purple of the Purple sunbird
shines ever so brilliant in sunlight, I yearned to see it
some day soon. Spotting a lone Asian Openbill and
learning how it cracks open the shells of snails in its
open bill, added to the richness of my experience.

Like all good things, the trip also came to end with
all of us taking a breather on the lawns and
munching my mom's sandwiches. The sandwiches
were a hit with my friends and when I passed on the
compliments to my mom, her smile was exactly like
mine when I heard the singular, wondrous and
powerful ‘tuck tuck’ of the little Black-rumped
Flameback in the total silence of the zoo.

So I say this to my feathered and non-feathered
friends. It is never goodbye. It is always Adieu.

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS

Dy LEO iE TT
ae Se

Nesting Season is here...
(From Times of India, 11-01-2010)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Bronze-winged Jacana (Metopidius indicus)

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Jacanidae

Genus: Metopidius

Species: M. indicus

Size: Male 28 cm, Female 31 cm

Description: The Bronze-winged Jacana has a
glossy-black head, neck and breast, metallic bronze-
green back and wings, blackish underparts, a
chestnut-coloured stubby tail, and a marked white
eyebrow extending from behind the eye to the nape.
There is a grey patch above a yellow bill, and a
marked maroon-red rump patch. It has enormously
elongated spider-like toes, which enable it to walk
on reeds and leaves in water. The juvenile has an
orange-buff wash on breast, a shorter white
supercilium and a yellowish bill. The sexes are alike.

Behaviour: It is seen singly or in small groups
around freshwater wetlands, jheels and ponds with
floating vegetation like water-lily or singara. The
long, widely-spreading toes help to distribute the
weight of the bird and thus enable it to walk easily
on the floating tangle of reeds, stems and leaves.
Walks upright with a jerky gait, except while
foraging, when it can bend almost in half. Flies with
trailing legs. Swims well and also dives on occasion.
Its diet consists of seeds, roots, etc. of aquatic plants;

also insects and molluscs. Its call is a short, harsh
grunt; also utters a wheezy, piping seek-eek-eek. It is
distributed across the entire continental India (except
western Rajasthan); also Pakistan, Bangladesh and
Myanmar. Absent in Sri Lanka. The female is
polyandrous.

Nesting: The Bronze-winged Jacana nests mainly
between June — September (coinciding with the
south-west monsoon). The nest is a patchy pad of
twisted stems etc. on floating leaves, often partially
submerged or among rushes along the edge of the
water-body. It lays 4 eggs at a time, which are glossy
and bronze-brown covered with irregular blackish
scrawls. The male usually takes responsibility for
incubation.

The name: Jacana is one Linneus' pseudo-Latin
misspelling for the Brazilian Portuguese Jacand
(from a Tupi name of the same bird) whose
pronunciation is approximately [Za.sa.naN]. (Source:
Wikipedia)

Local name: It is known as ‘jal manjar’ or ‘pipi’ in
Hindi, ‘kanchurekkalu jacana’ in Telugu, and
‘thamnachenbi’ (‘running on lotus-leaves’) in
Manipuri.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad
“The Old Shikaree”

The Wildfowl of the erstwhile Hyderabad State
comprises about 8 families that include Partridges,
Quails, Pigeons and Doves, Ducks, Snipes,
Sandgrouse and Bustards. These were birds that
were mostly shot for the table in the early days when
‘Shikar’ was less frowned upon and the birds were
featured prominently on the menu.

A lot has been said in earlier and current literature
on this very human habit of hunting. The urge to
hunt is a primeval instinct in all human beings, since
the days we dressed in animal skins and used stone
arrowheads and spears to provide us our daily
sustenance. Homo erectus was primarily a hunter.
Even the well-known Neanderthal Man was more a
hunter than a settler. It is the Homo sapiens proper
that is more settled in his habits and now looks
askance at hunting as a means of sustenance. Now
hunting is the prerogative of the more conservation-
oriented countries and even then, only under strict
conditions and regulations.

However, in the early days, during the time of the
Raj and in princely India, hunting was the pastime of
most of the gentry. It was not, of course, limited to
the hunting of large game (though, ironically, it is
mostly these that have been written about in most of
the hunting treatises of that time). Hunting for the
pot was something indulged in by most people of
modest, even slender, means and was generally
limited to a few birds and small animals, such as,
hares and the occasional deer/antelope that were shot
mainly for the table.

In these columns, I would like to introduce the
readers to some of the birds that were frequently
hunted in those old days. Most of the hunting was
for the pot to feed the camp, though there is an old
record where the guests at a marriage party were
served partridge instead of fowls because they were
more readily available than the eternal murghee. I
would hasten to add, however, that I do not in any
sense intend to encourage hunting of these, by now,
seriously endangered species. Though an old
shikaree, I have no intention of being anything but
an old shikaree. I may not have hunted very

extensively (in fact, I have hunted very little when
compared with some others I could name), but I do
not doubt that I could make some little claim as to be
able to write about these birds.

The tyro will find precious little in these notes to
guide him/her towards the footsteps of nimrod. I
hope to be able to present the habits and behaviours
of these birds in a manner that would encourage
their preservation and consequent conservation. The
Wildfowl of the region, and indeed of the country,
are in grave danger in these times because, while
“hunting” is no longer indulged in, “poaching” is
another matter altogether. I hope that these
somewhat incoherent notes may encourage people to
take a greater interest in the birds and discourage the
pursuit of the species.

A word about the title - Wildfowl is a term more
commonly applied to water birds such as Ducks,
Geese and Swans. However, the term Wildfowl is
also applied to those species of birds that are related
to the domestic fowls and these are the Partridges,
Quails, Junglefowl, Peafowl and Sandgrouse. Stuart
Baker, in his monumental work on the subject, was
able to entitle it “The Game Birds of the Indian
Empire’; in the matter of titles we are, unfortunately,
less well-suited. Terms such as “Game Birds” are
best avoided these days.

Following the pattern from my earlier writings, I
shall not attempt any detailed descriptions of the
species under discussion. For identification, I once
more recommend field guides to my readers. My
objective in these memoirs is limited to the birds,
their habits and behaviours only. And if my earlier
memoirs have helped to pass the time not
unpleasantly, I venture to hope that I may be able to
do similarly through this series. I once more
encourage my readers to write in with their
suggestions and I shall do my best to correct the
defects.

In the meantime, Happy... (And I know of at least
one person who will be pleased to see this familiar
ending once again) Birding...!

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

P#TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 06 May 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 20" June 2010, 6:00AM: Mrugavani National Park, Chilkur.
Located near Himayatsagar, the Mrugavani National Park covers around 700 acres. This well-
wooded area with rocky outcrops harbours chital, sambar, several small mammals, an
interesting array of reptiles and several species of birds as well. One can expect to see ground
birds such as peafowl, partridges and quails and the usual suspects among the arboreal ones.
The Blue-faced Malkoha is almost always seen here. Keep a lookout for the harbinger of the
monsoon — the Pied Crested Cuckoo. A watchtower gives one a vantage point over the park,
and there is also a small museum with wildlife exhibits.

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to
co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-
08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS

Thursday, 24" June 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office
Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally. Colourful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have
fascinated us since the dawn of history. In ‘Life of Birds’, David Attenborough, one of the
world’s foremost naturalists, hosts an extraordinary exploration into the secret lives of these
magnificent creatures.

The Insatiable Appetite —This episode deals with the amazing range of bill shapes and sizes
that birds possess, allowing them to hammer grubs from tree trunks, search out the tiniest
seeds, tear meat and sip nectar. And if they can’t reach what they’re seeking, some of them use
tools to get a meal.

Trip Report — Sanjeevaiah Park, 16" May 2010
Sharada Annamaraju

Every summer, members of BSAP curse the heat,
shuffle their feet and fall back upon trusty old
birding spots like the Zoo, KBR Park and
Sanjeevaiah Park. On May 16, we once again
ambled off to Sanjeevaiah Park, a place which is a
treasure trove of bird sightings during winters, but
otherwise a place where one can, with some
experience, predict which bird will be spotted at
which corner, blindfolded. Despite the heat and a

sluggish feel to the morn, there were several faces,
old and new, gathered for birding. Sadhana, a new
member accompanied by her daughters and the
enthusiastic trio of Kalyani, Lakshmi and Vibha
from the Confederation of Indian Industries (CID)
met us at the gate and were raring to begin their first
field trip. Also joining us for the first time was
Mahipal, kitted out with a 500 mm lens-camera.

SE MAS 2 ODES he EN Br
Asian Pied Starling with nesting material (Photo:
Mahipal)

We began the day with Asian Pied Starlings
(Sturnus contra), the birds that were the apple of
everyone’s eyes when they first began nesting at the
park a few years back. Now they have gone forth
and bred, and run established committees in the
park. Rounded a bend here, and we saw a streak of
brilliant yellow - the Indian Golden Oriole (Oriolus
kundoo).

Duck (Photo: Asif Hus

Scanned the lake, whose shores were now covered
with some vile cyan scum (no doubt effluents and
untreated sewage). Here we saw Spot-billed Ducks
(Anas poecilorhyncha) dabbling for food, dumpy
Common Coots (Fulica atra) - always dumpy, (they
cannot be anything else) looking forlornly into the
steel-grey waters and wondering why everything
feels like déja vu.

Then we saw fluffed up Little Grebes (Tachybaptus
ruficollis) flying in their characteristic funny
manner, their feet dangling at an odd angle.

Ashy Prinia (Photo: Asif Husain)

An important observation by Rajeev Mathew and
interesting gyaan for the rest of us on the walk was
that the presence of Black-winged Stilts
(Himantopus himantopus), Coots and Spot-bills in
the lake meant that it was in really bad shape. “Bio-
indicators they are,” he pointed out and proceeded to
explain that they basically feed on matter like algae,
that thrives among dead vegetation and pollutants.
To this formed a backdrop - a few people who went
sculling by in the stinking lake, perhaps from the
local rowing association.

y > od
Cattle Egret i breeding plumage (Photo: Asif Husain)
Half a kilometer inside, we were already yawning
and like old hands, talking about past BSAP camps
to some fabulous places and how fantastic they
were, while casually noting down Large
(Phalacrocorax carbo) and _ Little Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax niger). The reeds along the coast
were alive with the calls of the Purple Swamphen
(Porphyrio porphyrio), White-breasted Waterhens
(Amaurornis phoenicurus), and one Common
Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus).

At this point, breakfast was brought out from the
recesses of our backpacks and the binoculars were
promptly stashed back in. From here on, we just
went about birding sans binocs; such was the dismal
turnout of birds thanks to the heat. At this point we
met Vinita Sreepada with her two very enthusiastic
sons and her sister, who promptly signed up to join
the birding madness.

Further up, we spotted a Red-wattled Lapwing
(Vanellus indicus) flying past, a Pheasant-tailed
Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) and a bejeweled
White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
perched on a lamppost. This was followed by the
sighting of a female Asian Koel (Eudynamys
scolopacea).

White-throated Kingfisher (Photo: Mahipal)

It was worth noting that a sizeable chunk of the
railing along the lake was taken out and the bund
extended to accommodate some sailing boats,
lubricants and oil drums in a largish shed.

A couple of years ago, the authorities had announced
a development programme that would have brought
the park closer to the white-light, with plans of a
cable car, a miniature park, a party zone, etc.
Though protests by nature enthusiasts made for a
temporary stop-gap, as is with all things in the name
of development, the park is slowly changing, with
more wooded land coming under the anvil of
manicured lawns, sprinklers and playgrounds.

Coppersmith Barbet (Photo: Asif Husain)

The trip ended with the sighting of several
Coppersmith Barbets (Megalaima haemacephala)
on a tree near the gate. Having spotted 32 species in
all, we headed out after Shafaat Uncle, rounded up
all the happy campers, ordered them all to help with
the bird-list and proceeded for that great BSAP
tradition - chai.

Trip Report - Mrugavani National Park
Nilay Raha

On 9th May four of us birders- Col. Prasad, Surekha,
Anjali and I went to the Mrugavani National Park in
Chilkur, about 18-20 kms away from Hyderabad.
We started at 05:30 am with Col Prasad at the

wheel towards the 900 acres Chilkur forest, which
houses 400 deer and is alsorenowned as a
"Birdwatcher’s Paradise’.

Although we knew that the migrant birds would
have left by then, we were very optimistic
about spotting resident species and looked forward
to a pleasurable and fruitful Sunday morning.

Outside the main gate we saw aGreater Coucal
(Centropus sinensis) sitting on the wall as if
welcoming us! We said “thank you” and cheerfully
walked in.

We are thankful to forest official Mr. Anand, not
only for giving us permission to enter, but also for
arranging two guides- Kumar and Raju, who
patiently and efficiently took us through two rounds
of the forest. We walked through the forest, once
from the right and once from the left, till all four of
us were exhausted but very much satisfied because
we got to spot 35 birds, 20 deer and one lone wild
boar!

Once inside, the first birds we saw were male
and female Red-vented Bulbuls (Pycnonotus cafer).
We felt as though the Bulbuls were saying, "Hey!
Who are these four people entering so early in the
morning into our domain? They look like bird
watchers with their binoculars, field guides and
cameras. Let us welcome them by presenting
ourselves and let us sing for them in our local
language". Thus, the Bulbuls heralded a series of
different and the most melodious birdcalls we had
heard on that day. Beethoven's symphony would
have paled in comparison. The bird opera presented
to us by various birds in Chilkur was incredibly
sonorous.

As we went further we spotted a Jungle Babbler
(Turdoides striatus) playing hide and seek with us.
While we were comparing its features with the
Yellow-billed Babbler, an Ashy Prinia (Prinia
socialis) gave the background score in his own sweet
lyrics! Kumar took us to the lake where we could
only hear the loud and crystal clear calls of the
Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) that remained
invisible. The calls got fainter as we kept going in;
perhaps they frowned at human intrusion and kept
away. Can’t blame them because we were on their
turf!

We spotted a few Green Bee-eaters (Merops
orientalis) in flight and heard the loud calls of Red-
wattled Lapwings (Vanellus indius) that kept
demanding ‘did you do it’, ‘did you do it', and ‘did
you do it’. We looked up at him and said innocently
‘no we didn’t’.

We deviated from bird-watching a little when we
picked up the beautiful dark red, velvety insects
(Trombidium grandissimum) in our palms and stared
in fascination at their bright colour and soft texture.
It was then that two Great Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax carbo) glided above us. A
Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
was sitting atop a tree far away from us but we did
spot it and observed it through our binoculars for a
long time.

We reached a bushy stretch where we again spotted
a Greater Coucal. We spotted a pair of Blue-faced
Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris) hopping
from one branch to another. We approached them
ever so quietly and were fortunate to see them from
close quarters for a very long time. We observed
their features; the beak, the body, the legs and the
eye color and, most importantly, the long white-
tipped, graduated tail. All of us gazed at the beauty
of the Malkoha to our hearts content.

Then we climbed a small watchtower. As Kumar led
us towards it, we came across an Indian Robin
(Saxicoloides fulicata), some Warblers, a River Tern
(Sterna aurantia) in flight and an Indian Pond Heron
(Ardeola grayii). We were taking a breather atop the
watchtower, eating oranges and chocolate wafers,
when we saw a White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon
smyrnensis) and two Peahens in flight. We thought
the Peahens were too huge to fly but they did it so
effortlessly! We also spotted Purple-rumped
Sunbirds (Nectarinia zeylonica) playing in the
bushes. While descending from the tower we saw
Spotted Doves (Streptopelia chinensis), Black
Drongos (Dicrurus macrocercus) and an Oriental
Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis).

We were not able to view the Quail properly because
initially it was hiding in the dry grass and when
we Sstealthily approached it to study its features, it
flew away. We crosschecked with our field guide
and concluded that it was the Jungle Bush Quail
(Perdicula asiatica).

Then it was time to admire many Green Bee-eaters
calmly resting on the electric wires or making short
flights to the bamboo and back. One of them was a
juvenile. We took some time to identify a White-
browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus) who was
feeding on fruits and seeds atop a tree. The four of
us spent some time studying the Bulbul as it did not
fly away. That greatly helped. Thank you, White-
browed Bulbul!

Now it was time to take a second round of the Park
and we were waiting for our next guide, Raju, to
accompany us. It was then that we saw a beautiful
male Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)
which initially played hide and seek but afterwards
came and sat right in front of us on a tree which was
less than five feet from us, as if proudly showing
off his amazing Prussian Blue coloring to us.
Undoubtedly, we were thrilled with his presentation.
Our luck was holding out. He came and sat on the
ground just two feet away from us on the grass.
Perhaps he was expressing his happiness for our
visit and gave us the privilege by coming so very
close to us. We promptly christened him the “Bird of
the Day.”

It was 9AM by the time we started the second round
entering from the right side of the park. The

scorching heat made us constantly thirsty and owing
to the rising sun, bird activity was gradually
diminishing. We could still spot a male Asian Koel
(Eudynamys_ scolopacea), Yellow-billed Babblers
(Turdoides affinis) and a pair of Common Ioras
(Aegithina tiphia) flying right above us, making us
strain our necks quickly to look up to identify them.
We saw a_ Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus
philippensis) and a_ Short-toed Snake Eagle
(Circaetus gallicus) following him in majestic
flight.

Lessons from this field trip: We heard a lot of bird
calls and learnt to recognize a bird by its call. No
man-made music equals in melody a ‘bird call
opera’.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad
“The Old Shikaree”

The term Wildfowl is almost synonymous with
Water Birds. Take the example of the Slimbridge
Wildfowl Trust, which caters principally to the
Ducks, Geese and Swans of the world. In our part of
the world, the Water birds include Duck and Teal,
Geese, Grebes and Coots, Flamingos, Pelicans,
Cormorants, Gulls and Terns.

For purposes of these memoirs, I intend to take only
the Duck, Teal and Geese. Of these, there are several
species that are to be found in Hyderabad and the
vast majority of them are birds of the winter months.
I can think of only five species that are year-round
residents in the state. These are the common Spot-
billed Duck, the little Cotton Teal, the Tree Duck or
Lesser Whistling Teal, its larger cousin, the Large
Whistling Teal and the Nukta or Comb Duck. All
the other birds of this large family are migrants and
visit us during the annual winter migration. All are,
without exception, fowls that are fond of water and
are generally to be met with in large flotillas, some
going so far as to congregate not merely in hundreds,
but in thousands, on favoured tanks, jheels and
marshes of the state.

Of Geese, we have only one species that we may
fairly claim. This is the Bar-headed Goose. Though
there are unconfirmed records of the Greylag Goose
from the state, it is doubtful whether these are
genuine records of wild birds or of domesticated
fowls. The Greylag being the father of all domestic

geese, many of his descendants still look remarkably
like their more august ancestor, and the chances of a
mistake in identification are natural. I do not think,
however, that there are more than a handful of
actually proven records of the existence of the
Greylag Goose south of the Narmada and Godavari
rivers.

Of the duck and teal there are many visitors, ranging
from the genteel little Wigeon to the brash Red-
crested Pochard, the little Blue-winged and Common
Teal, shy birds of the reed-beds and past masters at
the art of dodging the hunting Peregrine and
Shaheen Falcons. Past masters too, of dodging the
local shikaree on his nefarious rounds, or the
gentlemen shikarees of yester-years, who made up
large parties to hunt these birds in the days of long
ago. The water birds were particularly prized for the
table, and the old band of shikarees had already
worked out the best and the not-so-goodly-flavoured
species. They tell us that the birds that are dabbling
feeders are the best of the lot on the table, while the
diving birds of the Pochard ilk have a decidedly low
flavour. Most highly esteemed was the Mallard, but
that is a rare occurrence in the state. In his absence,
the Pintail became the most coveted, while some
shikarees awarded the palm to the Common Teal for
his delicate taste. However, these memoirs are not to
encourage readers to sample these birds, so we will
refrain from tantalising the taste buds of the public

and return to those matters that are of a less
controversial nature.

Public legislation awards great protection to our
visitors and it is highly desirable. In spite of this
protection, the birds are much pursued by the village
shikaree and the bird trapper. My very first sighting
of a Cotton Teal (in long-ago days) came in the
cages of a bird-trapper. I remember he had five to
sell and I bought them all. They were much battered
in feather and plumage and so lived very happily in a
small pond in the backyard of the house for a couple
of months until their livery had become strong
enough to enable them to take flight. I was pleased
to have played host to them, as I still believe that the
Cotton Teal is one of the most pleasing birds to look
at. They are the smallest of our resident ducks and
their striking plumage is most tasteful, the hen and
the cock being so much different from each other as
to cause some considerable confusion to the tyro.

The Pochards are the larger of the water birds and
they do themselves well in water that is up to three
to five meters in depth. Beyond this depth, the birds
cannot dive for their sustenance. The dabbling ducks
that do not depend on waterweeds for their

sustenance can make do in much deeper waters also,
since they use it primarily as a safe spot to rest upon
until they start their feeding in the late evenings;
mostly on ripe grain from the fields in the vicinity of
their tank. Most ducks are of this ilk and use the
water mainly for a cool and pleasant couch during
the hot hours of the day, until they start on their
nightly pursuit of the ripening grain and pea crops.
The dabbling ducks are primarily vegetarian birds
and feed on seeds, millets and peas; and in so doing,
they are guilty of offending the farmer but the birds
do not do a great deal of damage and the average
farmer is usually not unduly worried about the
damage the birds cause in his fields. The major
enemies of these birds are human beings, who,
through their barbarous taste buds, cause these birds
to be so much persecuted.

Contrary to popular opinion, there are very few
ducks that are fond of fish. Certainly, none of the
species that visit us are fish-eaters. Fish are the
prerogative of cormorants, terns and gulls. These
also are water birds, but they come not into these
notes, as they are not species that can lay claim to be
members of the game birds of Hyderabad.

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS

on
1 1 WANT WE NEST
j iy tar

OVER

TREE
TERE,

Nesting Season is here...
(From Times of India, 10-02-2010)

Bird of the Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

(Medchal, Hyderabad, January 4, 2009)

Order: Piciformes
Family: Megalaimidae
Genus: Megalaima
Species: M. haemacephala
Size: 17 cm

Description: The Coppersmith Barbet is grass-green
in colour and has a heavy bill, crimson patches on
forehead and breast, yellow patches above and
below eye, yellow throat, and _ green-streaked
yellowish underparts. The juvenile lacks red on head
and breast. It has a short, truncated tail which looks
triangular in flight. The sexes are alike.

Behaviour: It is arboreal and seen singly or in loose
groups, usually wherever there are fruiting trees —
especially the various species of wild fig, and on
banyan or peepul trees — whether in outlying forest
areas or in the heart of the city. Its call is a loud,
repetitive, ringing tuk, tuk repeated every 1-2
seconds, in long stretches throughout the day — very
like a coppersmith hammering on his metal. Its diet

consists mainly of fruits and berries (especially wild
fig and banyan); also sometimes eats winged
termites captured during awkward flycatcher-like
sallies. It is distributed across the entire continental
India from about 1000m in the Himalayas
southwards; also Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
In the humid forests of South-western India, is it
replaced by the allied species - Crimson-throated
Barbet M. rubricapilla.

Nesting: The Coppersmith Barbet nests mainly
between January and June. The nest is a hole dug out
of trunks or branches of soft trees like Coral,
Drumstick, Neem, etc, at moderate heights. When
the nest is made in a horizontal branch, the entrance
is on the underside. It lays 3 dull white eggs at a
time. Both sexes share all domestic duties.

Local name: It is known as ‘katphora’ or ‘chhota
basant’ in Hindi and ‘kamsali pitta’ or ‘tokoji’ in
Telugu.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

err

P# TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 07 July 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 18" July 2010, 6:00AM: Ananthgiri Hills Reserve Forest.

With the monsoons in full swing and great weather prevailing, the day should make for not just a
pleasant woodland walk, but also great birding. Ananthgiri has never disappointed and is a paradise
for forest birds. One can see Flycatchers, White Eyes, Chloropsis, the Orange-headed Ground
Thrush, Nightjars, among others. The Indian Pitta and the Brown Fish Owl have been reported
earlier.

This will be a full-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-
ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS

Thursday, 22nd July 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office
Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally. Colourful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have
fascinated us since the dawn of history. In ‘Life of Birds’, David Attenborough, one of the world’s
foremost naturalists, hosts an extraordinary exploration into the secret lives of these magnificent
creatures.

Meat Eaters — From the meat-eating Kea parrot of New Zealand to African eagles that prey on
monkeys and flamingos, see the strategies that some birds use to find and catch their prey,
including tracking by ultraviolet vision!

Everything That Is Not Bird Watching
Text and photos: Rajeev Mathew

Dozing in the Sumo, I was roughed out of my stupor
when Shelke the forest guard exclaimed ‘Saamp’
and the driver suddenly applied the brakes. There,
in front of our vehicle was a dark snake frantically
trying to get away from the now screeching wheels
of the vehicle. It then headed off into the bramble.
We bailed out. Weary-eyed I followed the beady-
eyed, but found no snake. As we debated the species
it belonged to, I thought aloud that the snake could
have climbed onto the bramble, under which we
were now standing. Snakes, I am told are deaf, but
this one surely heard me, for why would it have
decided to suddenly bolt. The noise about six inches

above my head made us all look up and there was
the snake .The snake, much to the relief
of Shelke, turned out to be the Dhaman or Rat Snake
(Ptyas mucosa); a beautiful specimen some eight
feet long.

The excitement over, we raced towards a stream
lined with a stand of Arjuna trees
(Terminalia arjuna). Giant Indian Squirrels
(Ratufa indica), | was told, were to be seen here and
being the state animal of Maharastra, every visitor
had to be shown one. The Squirrels thought
otherwise and were nowhere in sight.

Trees scanned, we pushed again towards the
confluence of the Wardha and the Peinganga Rivers,
from which union the Pranahitais born. The
boulder-strewn tumbling waters of the rivers had a
most calming effect, transfixing me for a while. The
rivers had the Large (Casmerodius albus) and Little
Egrets (Egretta garzetta), Pond Herons
(Ardeola grayii) and the Green (Tringa ochropus),
the Wood (Tringa glareola) and the Common
Sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos). I was
told that Otters (Lutra sps.) gamboled here,
something I sorely missed.

This trip, however, was not dedicated _ to birds
and bird watching. My mission — to deliver a talk on
wildlife and eco-tourism, an hour and a half later of
which found me staying over for several days! Let
me put the clock back a couple of days, maybe that
willexplain whattook meto the forests of
Chandrapur. I had been invited to talk on wildlife —
dwelling on human-carnivore conflict and eco-
tourism. Having struck the right chords following
the talk, I was invited tofollow a_ Tiger
(Panthera tigris), which had taken a head of cattle
close to Chandrapur. The drive to the kill site was
interesting and en route dinner in a forest augured
well for things to come.

Following the Tiger with kill, from about ten thirty
at night to well past one in the morning the next
day, was interesting, and soon we got pictures that
suggested it was a Tigress. That determined, we
pushed through the broad-leafed dry deciduous
forest. The Tigress had disemboweled the kill and a
while later, a severed leg of the cow apprised us that
she was now travelling with a much lighter load, and
while she had excellent night vision, we were
blundering with celled torches. With a five-foot
stride as against our two feet one, she outpaced us,
kill and all.

Back from an exciting runabout in the forest
after the Tigress, we headed back to Chandrapur,
which, for the next several days would be my
headquarters. Sleep was out of the question for in a
few hours I would embark on a new journey.

Fortified after two cups of coffee at 5:45 the next
morning, I left about 6:00 for
TADOBA! Uday Patel, the Honorary Wildlife
Warden of Tadoba accompanied me. In a short
thirty minutes, we were skirting the park, and as we
turned right, on the left stood a massive Sambur
(Cervus unicolor) stag witha pair of polished
duelling sabres, disguised as branches, atop _ his
head. Driving through an area rarely visited by
tourists, brown-black boulders suddenly flashed
white-stockinged feet to transform into Gaur
(Bos gaurus). At ten feet, the world’s largest cattle
looked huge, only to be dwarfed by the ancient
forest of trees of mainly Terminalia and
Teak (Tectonia grandis). Bamboo (Dendrocalamus)
provided them food and shelter. Grunting only as
pigs can were a sounder of Wild boar (Sus cristata)
and they were a very disgruntled lot, bolting into the
forest as our vehicle came to a stop. Sambur were
everywhere.

Changeable Hawk Eagle

‘Fowl language’ in any tongue is often understood; a
Changeable Hawk Eagle (Crested Hawk-eagle)
(Spizaetus cirrhatus) sat atop a dry dead tree on the
far side of a village now partially relocated where
the Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda),

Golden Orioles (Oriolus kundoo), Grey Hornbills
(Ocyceros birostris) and several others
were swearing at the Crested Hawk-eagle. The
eagle sat stoically as the storm broke over its
head and a vagabond treepie had the nerve to sit next
to him and scold, the outcome of which I was not
witness to, as my calling then lay in understanding
the park and its herbivores that feed the carnivores.

Kolsa reached, the hands of the clock told us that we
were in time for breakfast. While ‘poha’ was got
ready, a walk onto the bund showed the lake hardly
had water as the rains had failed. We watched
a Nakta (Comb Duck) (Sarkidiornis melanotos) with
a knob on its bill fly past. Breakfast washed down
with tea, we set our faces Tadoba-ward.

Stopping every now and then, checking for
pugmarks, scats (poop), scratch marks, we made
dusty progresstoward Tadoba.The — cheery
old Tadoba guesthouse, commissioned in
1907, welcomed us with a very stern and
curt message. Notwithstanding the warning, for we
intended not to swim,we made _ ourselves
comfortable in the guesthouse and were now joined
by the field director Sanjay Thakre and my friend
Sai Kumar Reddy who facilitated my trip. Over tea
and coffee, a council of war held, the upshot of
which was to go towards the boundary and oversee
the re-location programme.

A very stiff Gaur walked ahead of us, his stiff
behavior and a very stiff upper lip told that he had
got into a fight with another of his kind and
gender, but one much larger than he was! With
massive meat hooks for horns (any other lesser
being would have been gored) and with skin at least
an inch thick, these thick-skins duelled and reached
a standoff and stood broadside to each other, the
vanquished with his head lowered, while the victor
holding his head high and _— chewing
Bamboo. Several Sambur were having a stag party
and we crashed into it.

Lunch over, Sai turned Chandrapur-
ward. Sanjay Thakre and the rest of us got back into
the wilder areas of the park. As we drove to the
strategically located desolate fort of the Gonds on a
cliff face, we marveled at the view but were

dismayed that a temple had come up in the middle of
nowhere.

An evil looking gully went down two hundred feet
and as the Sumo could not navigate the terrain, it
would circumscribe the hill and meet us on the far
side. The near vertical descent down the gully was
thrilling, broken by boulders and
rocks; befitting steps for a giant!

Down the evil gully and into the bush we went!
Stooping we walked, our height now to that of a
Tiger at shoulder. The exercise - to get to where a
Tigress had littered. With the hills casting long
shadows, four in the evening seemed two hours
older. The trilling of the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher
(Cyornis tickelliae) over the murmur of a
brook came wafting down, while the soft
soil yielded pugmarks of Tigers. The Bamboo,
Lantana and other native bushes and climbers
effectively halted ourprogress;a roundabout
brought us to a wallow used by Sambur and Gaur.

The wallow prompted a discussion on
the Arna (Bubalus bubalis), otherwise the mean-
tempered, now extremely rare, Wild Water
Buffalo, the conspecific ancient progenitor of the
lethargic domestic buffalo, which come into
Chandrapur forests from adjoining Chhattisgarh.

Nightfall had Indian Nightjars
(Caprimulgus asiaticus) all along the road, taking
off at the very last moment.

Many Sambur, several Black-naped Hare
(Lepus nigricollis) and a couple of Small Indian
Civets (Viverricula indica) later, we reached the
guesthouse at Tadoba.

As much as I wanted to stay overnight at
Tadoba, with the promise of going around on patrol
at night and a whole day with Sanjay Thakre, I could
not avoid the next day’s calling — Chaparla and the
confluence of the Wardha and the Peinganga, the
union of which resulted in the Pranahita.

Giant Indian Squirrel

To Chandrapur we headed - my stop for afew
short hours to catch some sleep. Driven
to Chaparla and further, and visiting the
predominantly Teak forest, I wondered what the
animals would feed on. Teak is definitely not a
staple food for any of the denizens. Plantations, to
stave off human hunger for wood has hit the target
but missed the point. Fruit-bearing trees in the
plantations will go a long way in helping populate
the area with wildlife, changing them from green
deserts to verdant, vibrant areas of biological
diversity.

On a lone Arjunatree sat a Giant Indian
Squirrel munching on an Arjuna fruit. I got to see
the state animal ambassadorand the forest
department staff were pleased thatthey had
shown me one. The drive back to Chandrapur was
interesting. I had to keep my eyes open but being
deprived of sleep, it was a task indeed.

An early night and a sound sleep later I awoke fresh,
now to get to Nagpur. The drive was pleasant and
comfortable and three hours later I parked myself at
the Forest Guesthouse in the Seminary Hills. A trip
was organized to visit the Maharaj Pratap Animal
shelter in Nagpur to see the Leopard
(Panthera pardus) that had uncannily escaped traps
and marksmen (orders had been issued to shoot it),

the climax of this being it was trapped hardly a
twelve month agoin a house it had entered.
The many harrowing tales of the man-eater
of Navgaon and its dance of death was discussed
earlier with Rama Rao (the DFO, a part of whose
area the Leopard had terrorized).

The next day found me heading towards Melghat
(meeting of Ghats or Hills). M.S. Reddy, the
Divisional Forest Officer, had graciously agreed to
host me for as long as I cared to stay there. Lunch
eaten, flasks with tea, we set off to Narnala, beyond
Akot. Narnala, a fortress on the hills overlooks Akot
and Akola. Three rifled, 250 pounders — known
as nau gazis (9 yards) — stood sentinel, protecting
the then rulers of the area, and now the Tigers and
other denizens that call Narnala their home. Tea
drunk; and drunk overthe splendorous _ gorges,
ravines and sheer cliff faces of the landscape,
which took my breath away! We walked areas
where camera traps had _ captured Tigers,
Leopards, Sambur among a host of other animals.

Apart from a few staff stationed on the ridge and the
hundreds that gather at the Mosque at Narnala for an
annual festival, no one ventures or is allowed to
venture in. Ancient tanks for storage of water for
the fort, have transformed into pools for animals - a
spectacular place if one has the nerve to sit on the
ledge and watch wildlife go by.

Spotting is something that I love, and M.S. granted
me this wish! Patrolling is something he takes
seriously, so armed with searchlights we scoured the
area. With cliffs and hills on one side and valleys
and gorges on the other, all we ever saw were the
disappearing hinds of Sambur. All the tea drunk and
sleep pulling our eyelids shut, Akot we reached.

When we sat for breakfast, M.S. suggested we go to
the Wen sanctuary, the Wen River lending its
name. We wound our way along dirt roads going up
and down the hills. Barricaded at places to stop an
unintended entry, with no humans in sight for a long
while, we reached a Forest Guesthouse in the hills
with manicured lawns. Three pie dogs welcomed us,
suggesting there were no Leopards. This being
Tiger Country, Sambur were on the menu, while the
dogs barked and stayed safe.

Sitting down to lunch in the guesthouse overlooking
the Wen River, almost a half mile below we saw
several birds of prey prompting us to concur
that Wen River gorge be declared a sanctuary for
Birds of Prey.

Again, Melghat is full of Teak or at least three
quarter of it, while the rest comprises
Bamboo, Terminalia, Bauhinia and similar.

My eyes now unable to remain open, we headed
back to Akot and a late dinner saw me replete and in
deep slumber.

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

The soft calls of the Yellow-footed Green-pigeon
(Treron phoenicoptera) had me up in a trice. Their
courtship more of a fight or was it a matter of a
pinion? The birds seen truly amazed me. Forty-
five of them in about double the time, incredible
indeed! I got to see the Orphean Warbler (Sylvia
hortensis), Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca),
Black Redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) and the
Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus).

The lake outside Akola had a surprising number of
Snipes. Wading through the many common, green
and wood sandpipers and the usual suspects - the
Egrets and Pond Herons, we spotted a flight
of Garganey (Anas querquedula) and a_ few
Common Coot (Fulica atra). The evening Sun over
the lake told me it was time to return home —
Hyderabad - which over a week ago I had left; my
mandate then to talk on leopards and eco-tourism.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — Water Birds
“The Old Shikaree”

Water birds that we are most concerned with in this
part of the country are of three main families. We
will discuss these in some detail now. The three
main families are Geese, Ducks and Teals.

Geese

There is but one species that is of interest here to us,
and that is the Bar-headed Goose. This is a large
bird, about the size of a large domestic duck. The
most prominent feature of this fellow are the two
black bands on the head, the one extending from eye
to eye and the second close to the nape. These geese
are wont to forgather in large skeins, which can go
up to several hundreds. At the same time, once they

reach their wintering grounds, they scatter into
smaller gaggles and can be encountered in twos and
tens up to large flocks of three hundred or so. The
largest gaggle I have seen was one of over three
hundred and fifty on Pocharam Lake.

Geese are mostly vegetarian and they can damage
grain crops when they alight to feed. But on the
whole, they confine their attentions to grass and
weeds on the shores of lakes and marshes. They
were not particularly favoured by the early shikarees
on account of their apparently rank flavour and their
ability to absorb considerable quantities of small
shot without any apparent effect.

Ducks

Of these there are many species that visit our part of
the country. We have 10 species (including the
Pochards) and of these, two are resident birds (Spot-
billed Duck and Comb Duck). The majority of these
birds are dabbling ducks; though the Pochards also
specialize in diving habits. Most ducks are fairly
easy to tell apart when they are drakes, though the
females are another matter entirely. Their habit of
forgathering in large rafts out in the middle of some
large body of water does not help either. Ducks are
some of the most gregarious birds we have; rafts of
up to 8000 birds being not unknown in some areas.
One of the largest mixed flocks I have seen was a
count of some 15000 on the Kolleru Lake.

The dabbling ducks are primarily grazers and do
themselves well on grass seeds and standing crops
on the shores of lakes and jheels. They are also, on
the main, nocturnal in their feeding habits and go
ashore to graze in the evenings. Come morning, they
hie themselves to a convenient lake and there, safe
from harm, spend the hours of daylight, until fading
light again tells them that it is time for another visit
to the local commissariat. Pochards prefer to do their
feeding on the lake itself and, for this purpose, they
dive to great depths and reappear festooned with
weeds and underwater algae which forms their main
sustenance. The diving ducks were generally

AASHEESH PITTIE

BIRDS

TR k a

considered rather poor game as their flesh was
supposed to be rank and unfavourable. The dabbling
species were eagerly pursued, with the exception of
the Shoveler, which again (so the old-time shikarees
tell us) was a bird poorly suited for the table.

Teal

Though, strictly speaking, Teal are also nothing
more than small ducks, for purposes of game, they
were classed as a tribe in itself. Of these, we have
five species (including the Tree-ducks or whistling
teals). The Whistling teals and the Cotton Teal (the
smallest of the tribe) are resident fellows, while the
Blue-winged and the Common Teal are visitors.
Again, all are gregarious birds and the Lesser
Whistling Teal particularly, delight in large rafts of
over a thousand birds. The Fulvous Whistling Teal is
less given to flocking, and prefers to remain in small
family groups of up to twenty birds.

There is this peculiarity also in that the resident birds
are uniformly diving species, while the transients
prefer to dabble. The old shikarees eagerly pursued
the Common Teal as being a most especially dainty
fellow for table. I believe that the Blue-winged Teal
was equally renowned. All these are well-known to
the old shikarees and form part of the species of the
Game Birds of Hyderabad.

BIRDS IN BOOKS
Three Hundred Years Of South Asian

Ornithology — a Bibliography
By Aasheesh Pittie

(Book Review by Rajeev Mathew)

This is about the man behind the book: his passion
culminating into this prodigious work of
bibliography titled ‘Birds in Books’.

Our friendship is as old as the BSAP itself. We
would set off on trips, which were memorable. We
have shared books, notes, and trips and for such as
him, it is a privilege and an honour for me to review
a very worthy book, nothing less could have been
expected of him.

A very attractive cover beckons one to the book that
is simply outstanding! The title is apt, for it portrays
the works of so many whose books have been the
inspiration and stepping-stones for works that have
followed. This book is vital for it is a window from
the past to now on the checkered path of ornithology
for those interested to peek, or a door for those who
wish to do work that is more substantial; herein is a
readymade volume of references. A bibliography
spanning nearly 300 years of ornithology, this book
is a work of passion and dedication. It spans the
areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India Myanmar,
Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Though this book is mainly for South Asia, it spans
the Palearctic to the Orient. The author has
researched a very wide collection of material...
from paintings by artist / naturalists to monographs,
field guides and checklists, which vary from the
rarest to the most common. It also talks of the
people of yore to the present — from the British
clergyman and Botanist John Ray’s book published
posthumously in 1713, which laid the foundation to

TO SEE EVERY BIRD ON EARTH
A Father, A Son and a Lifelong Obsession
Dan Koeppel

(Book Review by Anjali Pande)

This book is about the birding obsession of Richard
Koeppel, father of the American author Dan
Koeppel. We witness the endearing bond between a
father and son as Dan takes us through the love,
pains and losses in their lives. Strengthening this

systemic ornithology to the “Ten Volume
Handbook’ of Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley.

This book also peeks into the lives of authors of
various books from various times coming from
diverse professions, thus being a further reference
for those interested in the life and times of people
who lived in very interesting times. T. C. Jerdon, a
Scottish Surgeon Major in the British Regiment of
the Jerdon’s Courser fame, E. C. Stuart Baker of the
Imperial Uindian) Police has written several books
and two volumes of the Fauna of British India, Allan
Octavian Hume (the founder of the Indian National
Congress)... “British Civil Servant and a colossus of
Indian ornithology in the late nineteenth century was
and is rightfully called the ‘Pope of Indian
ornithology’.

The list is stupendous, the work monumental and it
is a brilliant work, meticulously researched by a
brilliant amateur ornithologist.

loving bond and bringing them closer is a hobby
verging on obsession.

After a bitter divorce, Richard Koeppel’s interest in
watching birds turned to an obsession as he set out
to list all the birds in the world. It shaped his life
and made him what he was to his son Dan - a
loving father, undoubtedly, but also one who he
resented, at times, for his obsession. This
(auto)biographical book unfolds this obsession
through 13 chapters written in a beautiful and
simple language.

Richard Koeppel was a passionate birder of the
‘species’ called the “Big Listers”. These people are
intensely dedicated and highly competitive birders.
Dan says,” Approximately 9600 bird species are
found on earth. About 250 people have seen 5000
of them; about 100 birders have reached 6000.
Several of the 12 or so birders at the 7000 level, are
racing towards the eight thousand mark - a mark
only two birders (only one now living) have
reached.” Richard Koeppel was among the world’s
top ten in the list of the ‘Big Listers’ with a tally of
7200 birds!

Richard Koeppel was actually a medical doctor by
profession, who spent all his life watching and
listing birds. But this hobby cost him his family and
great amounts of money and time, while his personal
relationships suffered. “To see every bird on earth
can be, sometimes, dull, sometimes dangerous, and
very often absurd”, says Dan. But as a son who
himself loved watching birds and who understood
how it all contributes to science, Dan, nevertheless,
tries to figure out the “why” underlying such an
obsession.

Richard’s hobby started when he was 12. For days
he would watch the “Brown Thrasher” without
knowing what it was. All he knew was that this bird
was fascinating. The constant question, “what is it?”
pushed him into this lifelong obsession of watching
birds, sometimes for hours, sometimes for days or
months, crossing mountains, rivers and traversing
continents.

Dan also explains why birds are so critical for
understanding “life”. He introduces the reader to the
fascinating world of pioneer birders and well-known
ornithologists, from Audobon to the eccentric and
gifted Kaestner, at a very humane and personal level.
I found it very interesting, as I don’t know much
about the history of birding outside India.

Dan says at the end, “The birds don’t have any need
for the names we give them; they’d still fuss in the
trees and fill the skies. But in the listing, in the
categorizing, in the identifying - whether at the
backyard feeder or deep in the rain forests of Brazil -
we untangle the web of creation. “

A must read for everyone interested in birds and
humans.

Published by:
Plume-Penguin Books USA; New York 2005
ISBN 0-452-28539-9

Excerpt from the book (page 252-253)

It happened fast. We nabbed two birds quickly — the Brown-headed Greenlet and Cherrie’s Antwren - from the
deck of the boat. Then we pulled on our rubber boots and rowed to the tiny island; not much bigger than a
baseball diamond, but dense with brush. We stepped just a few feet into the woods. The ground was soft and wet.
I was wearing my backpack; inside was stashed a bottle of champagne, brought all the way from the Miami
Airport.

Suddenly, Whitney raised his arm. He’d heard something.

The night before, Dad had given me the names of a half-dozen potential life birds we were likely to see that
morning.

“Tt could be a Black-Tyrant.” Whitney whispered.

Neotropical birds always have interesting names, usually based on their behavior. Screamers scream; antbirds
follow ants. (In fact, one of the best ways to find birds on your own in the jungle is to look downward, following
the huge swarms of army ants that often form somewhat eerie, moving carpet on the ground. As the ants travel,
other insects jump out of their way, and dozens of birds swarm in to eat them. Ornithologists call this kind of
frenzy a “bird party.”’)

Tyrants are a kind of flycatcher known for their aggressive behavior.

But I couldn’t remember if the bird we were now hearing was one of the birds Dad hadn’t seen. I turned to ask,
but Dad shushed me before I had a chance to speak. That’s how I knew this would be it.

There was a moment of slow-motion silence. The jungle is a noisy place, but it can also be absolutely still. You
don’t hear plane or cars, voices or music, and the sound of the birds and other wildlife sometimes seem to merge
into a single, omnipresent hum that soon vanishes beneath the range of your hearing.

Whitney pointed his microphone and touched the RECORD button. The bird sang again. Whitney rewound the
tape; then hit PLAY. One beat. Two. The returned call seemed a little angry; the bird was responding to the
territorial challenge we were making. I looked over at Dad. He had a calm and intent look on his face; so did
Whitney. They both knew that this was it, even before the bird appeared.

Dad was the first in our group to actually see it — a small, gray figure, deep in the brush, suddenly emerging into
full view. It is a small bird. Some of the Tyrants have crests, but this one didn’t. For a lister; not every bird can be
special because of its physical characteristics, and even the dullest species can occupy an immortal spot on your
tally.

Bret played the tape again. The bird came closer. This time, everyone saw it, and Dad stepped toward me and
pointed my binoculars in the right direction, as well. I caught a quick glance, then reached into my backpack. We

drank champagne; we took pictures. Dad threw his arms around me.

Then it was time to move on. There were, of course, more birds to see.

Editor’s note: The Pitta does not carry a Trip Report as the trip planned for Mrugavani National Park,

Chilkur on June 20" was cancelled due to rain.

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS

(From Times of India, 21-01-2010)

Bird of the Month
Text and photo: Umesh Mani

Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Gallinula
Species: G. chloropus
Size: 32-35 cm

Description: The Common Moorhen is a slaty-grey-
to-black and brown marsh bird. It has a bright red
frontal shield (forehead); a greenish-yellow bill with
a bright red base; long greenish legs and ungainly
feet. Also conspicuous white under-tail coverts and
white edges to wings when closed. Non-breeding
adult has duller bill and legs. The juvenile has a dull-
green bill and is mainly brown.

Behaviour: It frequents the edges of ponds, lakes,
jheels and marshes, and nearby moist ground
overgrown with tangles of bushes, but is more often
seen on the water itself, where it displays a
characteristic jerky bobbing of the head and a
flicking up of its tail, showing off the white under-
tail coverts. While walking, it carries the stumpy tail
erect and often jerks it up and down. Its flight, like

Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)

——

(Lotus Pond, Hyd

most rails, is laboured — low over the water, with
rapid wing beats, neck stretched in front and legs
trailing behind. Its call is a sharp, loud and abrupt
kirrik-crek-rek-rek uttered from inside a reed-bed,
usually in the mornings and evenings. Its diet
includes insects, worms, molluscs, grain and shoots
of paddy and marsh plants. It is distributed
throughout India up to an elevation of about 2000m;
also Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.
The race seen on the mainland is G. c. indica, which
is replaced by G. c. orientalis in the Andamans.

Nesting: The Common Moorhen nests between June
and September. The nest is a bulky contraption of
weeds and sedges, built on ground amongst aquatic
herbage, or up in a low shrub near water. The clutch
consists of 5-12 eggs, pale-yellowish to buff-brown
in colour, blotched with dark reddish-brown.

Local name: It is known as ‘jal murghi’ or ‘pani
murghi’ in Hindi and 4jumbu kodi’ or ‘bolli kodi’ in
Telugu.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

kar

PIA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 08 August 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 15" August 2010, 6:00AM: Shamirpet Lake

Some 20km away from Secunderabad, on the Hyderabad-Karimnagar highway, is this lovely man-made lake,
which is an excellent spot for birding. The large freshwater source and the surrounding rocky grassy terrain
make this ideal for water birds as well as larks. The Ashy-crowned Sparrow-lark and the Sykes’s Crested Lark
have been seen here. The place has yielded Yellow-wattled Lapwings as well. This will be a half-day trip.
Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla
(98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS
Thursday, 26" August 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office Complex,

Hill Fort Road, Nampally.

Aasheesh Pittie has been following his passion for birds for many years, culminating it into a prodigious work
of ornithological bibliography - Birds in Books. Meticulously researched, this book is vital for it is a window
from the past to now on the checkered path of ornithology. A bibliography spanning nearly 300 years of
ornithology, this book is a work of passion and dedication. It spans the areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, India,
Myanmar, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Aasheesh will present his book and take the audience through all that went into the writing of this brilliant and
monumental work. He will also talk of some well-known bird books and how they have evolved with time and
how bird art is used in books and how it has reached the present stage of near-perfection.

Trip Report - Ananthagiri, 18 July 2010
To Bird Paradise and Back
Surekha Aitabathula

Photo: Praveen Sirdesai

When there’s great birding in store, then can a birder be far behind the wheel and our gregarious Secretary in the
behind? No. So off I went on the 18th of this month to a very passenger seat, the rides back and forth turned out to be just
slushy Ananthagiri. With the rock steady hands of our President as much fun as the birding.

After a quick cup of tea and introductions, we set off once
again with the strains of Louis Armstrong’s song, ‘What a
wonderful world’, playing in my mind.

Just short of Ananthagiri we stopped, hoping to spot some
birds. We were not disappointed. We saw the White-eyed
Buzzard (Butastur teesa), a Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops)
in flight, Spotted Doves ( Streptopelia chinensis), Pied
Cuckoos (Clamator jacobinus) - slim black birds with a
distinctive crest and a white wing patch and the Coppersmith
Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala). This beautiful bird has a
crimson forehead and breast patch and is best known for its
metronomic call that is likened to a coppersmith striking metal
with a hammer. We also saw the Grey-breasted Prinia (Prinia
hodgsonii). This bird is typically found in open woodland and
scrub forest. Its call is a repetitive chiwee-chiwee-chiwee-chip-
chip-chip.

The Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix grisea),
Yellow-billed Babblers (Turdoides affinis), Black-shouldered
Kites (Elanus caeruleus) and Baya Weavers (Ploceus
philippinus) were also spotted. The Baya immediately caught
my interest when I was told about its nest engineering. Their
pendulous nests are retort-shaped with a central nesting
chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to a side entrance
to the chamber. Bayas use their strong beaks to strip the
strands of paddy leaves or rough grass and expertly weave and
knot them to make a hanging nest.

The male Baya partially builds the nest and begins to display
to passing females by flapping its wings and calling, while
hanging from the nest! The female then inspects the nest and
signals acceptance. Once they are paired, the male goes on to
complete the construction by adding an entrance tunnel. The
male completes construction only on finding a mate.
Conditional access if you please!

Oriental Magpie Robin (Photo: Asif Husain)

From here we drove straight to Ananthagiri. It is located 75
km away from Hyderabad. The river Musi is said to have
originated here. An ancient Anatha Padmanabha Swamy
temple still stands here as also some ancient cave-like
structures within the forest. It was a pleasant day. The sun did
peep out a couple of times but seemed reluctant to shine forth,
preventing insects and birds from venturing out. Human

activity was another deterrent. However, the forest was
swarming with thousands of colourful butterflies.

The first thing we did on reaching was open our breakfast
baskets. I found that chatting with each other while
exchanging a variety of sandwiches, chips, omelets and
washing it all down with the, much sought-after, cuppa tea,
actually builds camaraderie amongst us.

Post-breakfast we entered the forest, which has some
remarkably old and splendid trees. Here we bumped into
plenty of fellow-birders and eagerly asked each other the
regular question," Which birds could you see?"

Thick-billed Flowerpecker (Photo: Asif Husain)

The birds we spotted here were the Oriental Magpie Robin
(Copsychus saularis), Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis
tickelliae), Brahminy Starling (Sturnus pagodarum), White-
bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens), White-browed
Fantail (Rhipidura aureola), Small Minivet (Pericrocotus
cinnamomeus), Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus
viridirostris), White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus),
Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Oriental White-eye
(Zosterops palpebrosus), Thick-billed Flowerpecker
(Dicaeum agile), Rufous Treepies (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
and a lone Large Cuckooshrike (Coracina macei). I
normally dislike grey but fell, instantly, in love with this
predominantly greyish bird. They are mostly insectivorous,
and fly just above the forest canopy. They have a loud call
that goes klu-eep, klu-eep and have this characteristic habit
of shrugging their closed wings shortly after landing on a
perch.

White-bellied Drongo (Photo: Asif Husain)

With these sightings ended yet another invigorating birding
trip. We exchanged mobile numbers and Facebook ids and
said our goodbyes. As we cheerfully drove back home with

the lingering memories of the beautiful birds still upon us, I
recalled a cheeky one liner. Why are most American men
fast balding? Because their National Bird is the Bald Eagle
(Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

In The Grip Of Talons
Surekha Aitabathula

Picture this. You are alone in a mountainous terrain. Suddenly
you spot a large raptor soaring high in the sky. You are thrilled
to watch him glide effortlessly and confidently, like a King
undertaking an aerial survey of his kingdom. He soars high,
circling smoothly in an unhurried manner. After a while he
readies for descent by flapping his huge wings and lands, with
a whooshing sound, right on top of a huge tree, bereft of all
leaves.

Mesmerized, you drink in the details of his remarkable
features, totally in awe of his regal bearing. The mean-
looking, sharp talons can dig into its prey, disallowing escape.
His rapacious and fearsome hooked beak holds the promise of
efficiently tearing any piece of flesh under the sun! His strong
wings are his powerful flight propellants. His round, alert eyes
are like glassy, piercing beads of fierceness. He is perched
motionless. The feathers on his breast are ruffling in the wind
as he gazes far beyond the horizon with his superb vision.
While you are taking in the incomparable beauty of his stern
profile, he suddenly swivels his head and turns his intense,
predatory gaze on you. No prizes for guessing who will blink
first! He seems to be aware of the fact that he commands
respect. And how do you feel? You simply want to prostrate in
admiration before this awesome commander-in-chief of the

skies. You salute his might and you surrender to his
hypnotizing beauty. If you love birds, this is a sublime
experience.

We were treated to one such experience in a film on ‘Meat
Eaters’, which is a part of the BBC series titled, ‘Life of

TERK

Birds’. It was screened at the indoor meeting of the BSAP at
the German Centre on the 22nd of this month. Despite the
rain, a good twenty bird-enthusiasts made it to the screening
and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pin drop silence,
interspersed with gasps of amazement and thrill, being
indicative of the enjoyment. The superb visuals and
excellent script totally gripped our interest from start to
finish.

I was amazed to learn that the Lammergeier's (Gypaetus
barbatus) diet is 90 per cent bone marrow. It drops bones
from a height onto a rock so as to break them. Some
Lammergeiers have been known to drop bones as many as
fifty times! The name Lammergeier originates from German
Lamb Vulture or Lamb Hawk from the belief that it attacked
lambs. However, the bird is incapable of killing lambs.
Hence the misleading nomenclature is being phased out and
it is now more commonly referred to as the Bearded
Vulture, owing to its tuft of black moustache.

We at the BSAP are ever grateful to the Goethe Zentrum for
giving us their premises for our monthly indoor meetings.
And may I say that we always happily look forward to the
tea and refreshments. Vielen Dank!

After watching this film, I fell in love with birds of prey.
My scientific temperament did not deter me from wondering
about my next birth, in which I hope to return as a bird of
prey! Does anyone in the BSAP know where to apply?

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS
TINGE IM WELAST Dopo
| BIRD, I'VE BEEN ASKED
TO WRITE A MEMOIR,

$
i

Now you know ay this bird was called the Dodo!

(From Times of India, 30-12-2009)

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — The Waders
“The Old Shikaree”

By natural stages, we proceed from the Waterfowl to those
that spend their lives on the edges of ponds, tanks, lakes and
the sea. These are the wading birds, and they include
Sandpipers, Stints, Snipes, Woodcocks and Plovers. Though
the majority of the tribe are mostly to be met with on the
shores of large lagoons and estuaries, there are plenty of others
who prefer the smaller lakes and marshes, that were a feature
of the old Hyderabad state landscape, and where the shikarees
carried on their activities.

On the whole, the birds of this tribe were fowls of particular
favour with the hunting fraternity, mainly for their taste. The
other feature about them was their peculiar mode of flying,
and their habit of exploding into the air from the feet of the
approaching sportsman, made them a capital test for the wing-
shooting skills of the young nimrod. Snipe shooting in the
correct season was generally a vast excursion, complete with
beaters and retrievers that would have shamed the preparations
for a tiger hunt of the princes of Jaipur.

The birds of this tribe that are commonly met with around the
Hyderabad regions include the Sandpipers, Stints, Stilts,
Snipe, Plovers and Pratincoles. Of these, only the Pratincole
does not come under the purview of the shikaree as they were
never pursued or, if they were, I have never come across a
reference of such. The most popular game was snipe hunting
in the marshes and fields, particularly along the edges of
paddy fields, where the birds were frequently to be found. One
of my more pleasant memories is walking along one of the
rather unsteady bunds of a large field, having a snipe purring
out almost under my feet and letting fly with both barrels of
the ancient fowling piece I was carrying. The snipe flew away
unharmed, no doubt thinking hard thoughts, and I took one of
the finest tumbles imaginable, straight into the, rather chilly,
waters of the paddy field, from which I emerged looking like
one of those “sons of toil buried beneath tons of soil”. My
companions thought this most capital sport and one that
almost compensated for the loss of a fine snipe.

There was a time when the bird catchers used to bring around
baskets of such birds for sale; all these going under the

miscellaneous name of “snippets” - a term unknown to
science. The bulk of this varied bag used to be the Little
Stints, but there came sometimes, odd fellows mixed up
amongst them. I have picked up Wood Sandpipers and Grey
Plovers from this mixed bag. This was a long time ago and I
have not had any “snippet-walla” coming around for many-
a-year. A pity, as, in a way, I learned much about the habits
of the birds from these old fellows. They were capital
ornithologists in their own right, and had a repertoire of
many quaint anecdotes and tales of their exploits.

Huge flocks of these birds are met with on the edges of the
ocean or on lagoons and estuaries. Flocks of more than
20000 used to be seen on the old Adyar Estuary in Chennai
and also on the mudflats around the Pulicat Lake on the
Hyderabad State borders. Massive congregations are to be
seen at Point Calimere and other estuaries along the edges
of the sea. When a large flock of the birds is in flight, they
present a wonderful sight as they flash white and dark
alternately as they fly along, anon twisting and turning;
hundreds of birds with but one mind. They are fast birds
through the air and also great travellers. Their migration
routes span the globe and extend out over the open ocean.
How they manage to make these transcontinental flights
over the open sea is a subject of much discussion. The birds
are not given to swimming; in fact if they landed in water
out of their depth, they would rapidly drown. So they cannot
possibly rest on the sea surface. As such, they are, perforce,
obliged to fly without rest. Hardy they must be, for who can
make such gruelling flights. And for this reason, they eat a
great deal of food. They feed mostly on worms and algae,
probing with their long beaks into the slush at the water’s
edge. Some of the larger species extract small sand-crabs
from their holes and make rather a good thing out of it too.
Still others confine their attention to worms and other
arthropods. They are always, (especially towards the end of
their stay with us), encased with a good deal of fat, as
reserve fuel for their travels. This makes them particularly
tasty and accounts for their being considered as capital
additions to the tribe of the Game Birds of Hyderabad.

Hummingbird Hawk-moth
Text and photos: Vijay Sirdesai
(Ananthagiri, July 18, 2010)

Macroglossum bombylans

Macroglossum bombylans, Macroglossum stellatarum and
Cephonodes picus are species of Hawk-moth of the family
Sphingidae and genus Macroglossum.

Sphingidae is a family of moths, which include hawk moths,
sphinx moths and hornworms consisting of about 1,200
species. It is best represented in the tropics; however, there are
species in every region. They are medium to large in size and
are distinguished from other moths by their rapid, sustained
flying ability. The narrow wings and streamlined abdomen are
clearly adaptations for rapid flight.

Some hawk-moths, like the hummingbird hawk-moths, with
their long proboscis, hovering behaviour in midair as they feed
on nectar from flowers, accompanied by an audible humming
noise, are, sometimes, mistaken for hummingbirds. This
hovering capability has evolved only three times in nectar-
feeders like hummingbirds, certain bats, and these sphingids
(the hummingbird hawk-moth) - an example of convergent
evolution. They have been much studied for their flying
ability, especially their ability to move rapidly from side to
side while hovering. This is called 'swing-hovering.’ It is
thought that this characteristic evolved to deal with ambush
predators that lie in wait in flowers. They also aid pollination.

Teo

It flies during the day, especially in bright sunshine, but also
at dusk, dawn, and even in the rain, which is unusual for,
even, diurnal hawk-moths (the other diurnal species being
Cephonodes hylas, — Leucostrophus —hirundo and
Macroglossum trochilus). Some species fly only for short
periods, either around dusk or dawn, while other species
only appear later in the evening, and others around
midnight. But such species, may, occasionally, be seen
feeding at flowers during the day. Its visual abilities have
been much studied, and it has been shown to have a
relatively good ability to learn colours. Some of the
sphingids are among the fastest flying insects, capable of
flying at over 50 km/h and have a wingspan of 35-150 mm.

We were lucky to sight and photograph 3 species at
Ananthagiri - Macroglossum bombylans, Macroglossum
stellatarum and Cephonodes picus. All three were feeding
on nectar from flowers of Lantana (Lantana camara).

Cephonodes picus

Ref: - (Pinhey, 1962), (Scoble, 1995), (Kitching, 2002),
(Grimaldi & Engel, 2005).

Ave Aves et Lepidopterae
(Hail Birds and Butterflies!)
Rajeev Mathew

The monsoon set over Hyderabad, and a trip to Anantagiri
Hills close-by was what we were looking forward to. So, to
the Hill retreat we went. The monsoon had played its role
well, for the landscape, now attired in verdant vesture, was
impregnable. Cocky-tailed little birds of the genus Prinia kept
the watchers watching for birds. Distant calls of various
others came wafting to the eager ears of the listeners,
Aasheesh and I wondering whether it was the bird calling or
Kulkarni mimicking. Soon, the Sun warmed the land below,
and the eye caught sight of Lepidopterons — more commonly,
the gaily-flitting butterflies flying about.

@ ~ar'
Common Mormon (Male) (Photo: Asif Husain)
They were migrating! Their erratic flight made haphazard
with the slightest breath of breeze, caught our attention, and
bird watching diluted. With the conditions prevailing,
watching something with wings — be they feathered or
gossamer-scaled dainties — was the impromptu agenda. Naked
eyes for butterflies and binoculars for birds were in order.
Their annual migration was in full swing with the Common
Immigrants (Catopsilia Pomona) taking the lead, and Lime
Butterflies (Papilio demoleus) following a distant second.
Males of the Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) were busy
stocking up minerals through a habit known as ‘mud-

puddling’. The forest was teeming with Common Crows
(Euploca core), Common Pierrot (Castalius rosimon), Tiny
Grass Blue (Zizula hylax), Common Cerulean (Jamides
celeno), Chocolate Pansy (Precis iphita), Common Jezebel
(Delias eucharis), among others.

Santhi Rekha photographed a butterfly that I initially
identified as a Plain Tiger (Danaus crysippus), but later
close scrutiny showed it as the female of the Danaiad Eggfly
(Hypolymnas misippus). This led to a discussion on
mimicry, which is a useful dodge to avoid predatory birds,
insects and others, while on the mission of egg laying. A
little later Shafaatulla pulled out some pages out of his
pocket; these were pages in turn pulled out of a book on
butterflies; thus rested the identification of the butterflies
until books that are more comprehensive were referred to.

A pleasant walkabout in that verdant forest close to home
with Aves and Lepidopterons and mighty and ancient trees
for company was by far the best soul food in a long time.

White Orange-tip (Male) (Photo: Asif Husain)

Birding Camp at Goa
23.9.2010 to 26.9.2010

necessary arrangements

e Departure: by bus on 22.9.2010 evening (Wednesday); Return: early morning on 27.9.2010 (Monday)
e Charges would be, approximately, Rs. 6,000/- per head (all inclusive)
e Those desirous of coming may please give your names, along with the amount, by 14.8.2010 to enable us to make the

e Registrations would be done on first-come-first-served basis and preference would be given to life members
° For further information, please contact Mr.Shafaat Ulla (0-9849229552)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata)

Pied Bushchat (Male)
(Sainikpuri, January 2010)

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Muscicapidae
Genus: Saxicola
Species: caprata
Size: 13-13.5 cm

Description: The Pied Bushchat (male) is black with white on
rump, abdomen and wings, with the last being especially
conspicuous in flight. The female is earthy- brown in
appearance, with dark-brown upperparts, rufous-brown
underparts and a rufous-orange or rust-coloured rump. In non-
breeding and first-winter plumages, the male has rufous
fringes to the body.

Behaviour: The Pied Bushchat is a widespread resident. It
frequents cultivated areas and open country with scattered
bushes and tall grass; also sparse scrub country and hillsides,
especially near cultivation and villages. Commonly sits on
exposed perches on the tops of bushes, stakes or pillars in
fields, etc, and darts down to the ground to pick up insects.
May also jump in the air or make short sallies after winged

Pied Bushchat (Female)
(nkriyal, November 2009)

insects. Its call is a harsh chek, chek, ending in a quiet tweet.
In breeding season, the male delivers a tuneful whistling
song (similar to the Indian Robin’s) from a perch or during a
display flight, during which it shows ‘delayed-action’
wingbeats. The song may also be given out as a threat to
rival males, with a depressed tail, neck craned forward
menacingly, white rump fluffed out and wings down,
displaying the white wing-patches. It is resident or a winter
visitor throughout India; also Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka and Myanmar.

Nesting: The Pied Bushchat nests mainly between February
and May. The nest is a pad of grass, lined with wool or hair,
usually in a hole on the ground or in cut earth. The clutch is
3-5 eggs, pale bluish-white, speckled and blotched with
reddish-brown. Incubation is done by the female, though the
male occasionally helps in nest-building, and shares in
feeding the young.

Local name: It is known as ‘kala pidda’ in Hindi, ‘kumpa
nalanchi’ in Telugu and ‘kallu kuruvi’ in Tamil.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

P# TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 09 September 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 19" September 2010, 6:00AM: Rampally Cheruvu, Cherlapally.
Meeting point: ECIL Crossroads, 5:45AM.

Route: Marredpally - RK Puram Flyover — Neredmet — Sainikpuri - AS Rao Nagar - ECIL Crossroads —
NFC - Cherlapally. Alternative Route: From Secunderabad side, cross Tarnaka, take a left at CCMB and
go straight on to NFC, take a right after railway over-bridge, come to a T-junction, take a right again and
straight on till you see the lake on the left.

Situated in the Cherlapally Industrial area near ECIL, this water body and its surroundings abound in a
large variety of avifauna. One can see a number of water birds like Teals, Cormorants, Coots, Ibises,
Ducks, Herons, Waders, etc, in and around the lake. A bund separates the lake from the fields, marshes
and scrub and a walk along it yields not just the regulars, but also some rare species. Many of these birds
have been seen nesting here. The Cinnamon, Black and Yellow Bitterns, the Red-necked Falcon and the
Slaty-breasted Rail have also been sighted here. This lush green area is relatively unexplored and quite
undisturbed, making a visit mandatory.

This will be a halfday trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further det ails and to co-ordinate,
please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: GUIDE TO WADERS
Tuesday, 21 September 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office
Complex, Hill Fort Road, Nampally.

What are the differences between a green, wood and common Sandpiper? Or between the Little and
Temminck’ s Stint? Or between their breeding and non-breeding plumages? The differences are subtle and,
at times, not very easy for the untrained eye to ascertain.

The migration season is fast approaching and some migrants are already here. Amongst them are the
waders and shore birds. But, how does one distinguish between these innumerable oystercatchers, stilts,
avocets, pratincoles, plovers, lapwings, sandpipers, snipes, godwits, curlews, and many more?

This film throws light on these feathered visitors and the key to success ful identification. The high quality
footage has been specially filmed to show the birds in their various plumages - breeding, migrating and

wintering.

The duration of the film will be 2 hours.

Trip Report — Shamirpet, 15% August 2010
K B Anand

For any birding trip I eagerly reach the location early and this
time was no exception. I was the first to reach! I remember
parking the vehicles next to the Deer Park, from where one
could see the water in the lake. With this in mind, I drove
further and reached the Peddamma temple close to NALSAR.
By this time, I knew that I had overshot that point. From this
temple I walked about 300m towards the lake to find water.
There was none.

Here I saw a couple of Sykes's Larks (Galerida deva), Ashy-
crowned Sparrow Larks (Eremopterix grisea) and Large Grey
Babblers (Turdoides malcolmi). A pair of Red-wattled
Lapwings (Vanellus indicus) flew over my head, calling
continuously. I tried looking for their nest, but un fortunately,
the birds were too restless and I decided to leave the place.

I then went in the opposite direction and found a few vehicles
of the birdwatchers on the road. The lake was not visible from
the road because of the newly constructed houses and fencing.
Bharadwaj, his colleague Hussain Partapuri (a new addition to
BSAP), Umesh and I started walking towards the lake. No
water could be seen even after walking 200m. Surveying the
vast green patch, Bharadwaj noted that the lake was probably
covered with Hyacinth. We then came across a pool of water,
which was much smaller than the Shamirpet Lake that I had
always known. After considering various possibilities, we felt
the problem lay in the catchment area of the lake or at the
inlet, given that there was more than normal rainfall this year.

~ Red A vadavat (Female) (Photo: Asif Husain)

Though we were very disappointed with the condition of the
lake, the birds did not let us down. There were Eurasian
Thick-knees (Burhinus oedicnemus) amidst the boulders. They
took off as our presence disturbed them. We then saw Red
Avadavats (Amandava amandava) circling around and
crossing the fence of the deer park. We noticed araptor on a
patch of ground in the middle of water. It was too far so I
walked a few steps towards it to identify it. It was a sub-adult
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus). A pair of Black Ibises
(Pseudibis papillosa) flew over us and landed quite close by.
There were Spot-billed Ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha) and
Lesser Whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) in small
numbers. About a dozen River Terns (Sterna aurantia),
including juveniles, were very active. Some of them were on
the ground giving us a chance to see them clearly.

Lesser Whistling-duck (Photo: Asif Husain) ;

There were big flocks of Painted Storks (Mycteria
leucocephala), including several immatures, and Little
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax niger). A number of Grey
Herons flocked together at one place, which was probably
due to the shrunken size of the lake. There were Wire-tailed
Swallows (Hirundo smithii) and Red-rumped Swallows

AND SO, HAVING EATEN HER
FILL, THE MOTHER BIRD
RETURNS To HER NEST...

THE WORMS To FEED
HUNGRY BROOD. -

7)
God
=a)
==)
=)
=
=
=
=
=
—
wel
=
oO

Bird Humour

(Hirundo daurica) doing sorties and giving us good
opportunities to see them from up close. A pair of Pied
Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis) was fishing in the shallow
waters. Aasheesh identified a distant call as that of the Rain
Quail (Coturnix coromandelica).

One of the interesting sightings of the trip was the Eurasian
Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia). There were 3 of them on
the opposite shore. Common _ Sandpipers (Actitis
hypoleucos) and Common Redshanks (Tringa tetanus)
seemed to be the early migrants. They were busy feeding.
There were plenty of larks everywhere - on the boulders, on
the grass and flying around. We saw 4 species of larks,
which included the Oriental Skylark (Alauda gulgula) and
the Rufous-winged Bushlark (Mirafra assamica).

t ae r A

Sykes’s Crested Lark (Photo: KB Anand)

The take-away from the trip was the condition of the lake.
Something has seriously gone wrong with it. It was nothing
like what I had known of it. There was hardly any water. A lot
of construction activity was going on. All this does not bode
well for what has long been one of the best birding spots near
Hyderabad. I hope the concerned authorities take some urgent
action to rectify the situation.

~ WHERE SHE REGURGITATES
WER

ra || | ed iY
\ | \ Aes, ee

(From The Hindu, 11-05-2010)

Report — Indoor Meeting, 36" August 2010
The Intrepid Birdman

Surekha Aitabathula

Photo: JVD Moorty

Tall, fair, lanky and a self confessed shy guy, he is an amateur
omithologist who has seen around 800 birds across India,
Kenya and the United Kingdom and can instantly recognize
about 300 of them! He is an authority on birds who doesn’t
flaunt his knowledge, but is, nevertheless, very confident
about its accuracy. He has a pleasant disposition and
commands a lot of respect amongst the birding community in
India. He is a bibliophile who chills out on Western Classical
and Shastriya Sangeet. He edits a bimonthly glossy magazine
called Indian Birds. He recently published a compilation of a
bibliography, which is the first of its kind, titled - Birds in
Books - Three Hundred Years of South Asian Ornithology. He
answers to the name Aasheesh Pittie.

On arainy evening Aasheesh made a detailed presentation on
his book at the indoor meeting of the BSAP at the German
Centre.

He began with a sonorous recording of the Whistling Thrush
and went on to clearly explain each and every slide with a
simple-minded and honest enthusiasm that was totally bereft
of fanfare. It was evident that his slides, which tracked down
birding history, were methodically, meticulously and lovingly
prepared. He gratefully devoted a sizeable chunk of his
presentation to his mentors and all-time greats who were
positive influences in enriching his passion for bird watching.

His book takes pride of place as a mammoth reference guide!
It is a detailed, extensively researched and annotated
bibliography that lists over 1700 books, covering ornithology
across South Asia, and spans three centuries. Aasheesh
Pittie’s Herculean task began in the early eighties.

To identify and list 1715 books on birds spanning three
centuries across South Asia, and to write a brief about the
contents of every single one of them, necessitates a garg antuan
effort. He also lists a brief account on the life and contribution

of no less than 200 renowned ornithologists. An index of new
names also figures in the book. We cannot even begin to
imagine the kind of consistent, backbreaking and exhaustive
research he would have undertaken for nearly three decades to
bring out this book. (To give out a bit of unrevealed
information - at one point of time, he lost around 17,000
entries/inputs of his research when his computer crashed!) An
unfazed Aasheesh rededicated himself He researched and
recompiled the lost entries all over again. This speaks volumes
about his willingness to go the distance to realize his dream.

What is the purpose behind the attempt? "Primarily because
nothing like it existed,” says the author who was hooked to
birding right from his school days, being inspired by Capt NS
Tyabji's talks.

This kind of book cannot see the light of day unless
tremendous mental and physical labor goes into it. However,
not once during his presentation did the author mention how
tough and difficult it all was. He made light of his effort by
saying that it is not so much about the book as it is about his
enjoyable journey. These are typically the words of a person
who, clearly, is not given to chasing fame. There was only one
clearly detectable factor that came across to the audience
throughout his presentation - his love of birds — a profound
love with his favorites being the Thrushes and the Pitta (a
member of the latter family graces the brilliant front cover).

With one solid stroke of publishing Birds in Books, he has
removed for good, the tediousness and the difficulty hitherto
present in a birder’s search. If you are trying to look for any
kind of information on any bird, your search ends right here in
the 866 pages of this book. For having the courage to write
this remarkable and outstanding ready-reckoner, that is all set
to become one of the best and the most exhaustive reference
guides, Aasheesh Pittie deserves an applause that is as
phenomenal as his book.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — The Waders
“The Old Shikaree”

In the last column, we spoke about wading birds. There are
three main families of wading birds in these regions that
concern us. These are the Sandpipers, Snipes and Plovers.
Stints, which are also of this tribe, are included in the
Sandpiper fraternity. Curlews were also part of the Game
Birds, but not very often, as these are birds are more of the
sea-shore and estuary and, therefore, came very little into the
purview of the old Hyderabad fowlers.

Sandpipers

Our Sandpipers are, for the most part, migratory birds and
visit us during the winters. There are several species that come
to us, the commonest being the Common Sandpiper and the
Wood Sandpiper. The Green Sandpiper, the Ruff the
Greenshank, the Redshank and the Spotted Redshank also are
birds of this same fraternity and often congregate together.
The birds come in an array of sizes ranging from the Little
Stint, which is little larger than a long-legged sparrow, up to
the Ruffs, which can go up to the size of a small crow. The
majority of the birds, at least with us, are found in small wisps,
ranging up to a dozen or so birds. Towards the time of the
return migration, they start to gather together and flocks can
then go up to a hundred or so birds.

The species are mostly to be found on the edges of lakes and
tanks; on the marshy banks of which they get their sustenance
of small shrimps, worms and other arthropods and
crustaceans. These birds are very fast on the wing and used to
be a test for wing-shooting in the old days. A single day
yielding a bag of around 10 brace to a single gun was
considered quite good going. The best I ever managed in my
early days was a bag of five brace in as many hours. All were,
without exception, much favoured for the table.

Snipe

Only a few species of this splendid table bird are to be found
in our regions. Of these, one is only masquerading as a Snipe.
This is the colourful Painted Snipe which, so the scientist tells
us, is a member of the family of Rails and not a genuine Snipe.
The shikarees had already worked this out, as a bird not fit to
expend shot upon. It has the reprehensible habit of
disappearing underwater and then popping up again, well
inside the reedbeds, if fired at.

The Fantail, the Common and the Jack Snipe are fully paid-up
members of the tribe and were the birds most pursued. They
make themselves at home in flooded paddy fields and the
reedy shores of marshes and small lakes. Here they skulk,
mostly in solitary state, living on small crustaceans, worms
and water beetles. They were considered capital sport and a
test for the best wing shot. Their habit of exploding into the air
from almost under the feet of the unwary shikaree earned them
much praise, and considerable profanity was expended upon
this reprehensible trait. I have seen people so taken aback by
this display that they lost their balance and took many a
tumble into paddy-field or marsh. I have had a few such
experiences myself

Plovers

There are only a few ofthis tribe that come into our ken here.
The commonest of these are the Little Ringed and the Kentish
Plovers. The Grey and Golden Plovers, though common
enough around estuaries and lagoons, are not often met with
inland. The Little Ringed Plover is most common and is often
met with on the shores of large lakes and tanks. It is a small
bird, smaller than a myna, but very fast through the air. They
live mostly in small groups of five to ten, pattering about
looking for small insects, worms and other delicacies. Their
small beaks give them a very snub-nosed look, but that beak is
a sufficient tool to keep the bird well fed.

The plovers were all popular game birds in the old days and
used to be eagerly pursued, both by the shikaree and the bird
trapper. They were considered to be great delicacies, on
account of their superior flavour and also, being fast birds,
were a test for sporting skills.

Apart from the above, there are other species like the stilts, the
avocets and the Pratincoles. These are also wading birds, but
they fall not in the purview ofthe old shikaree as they are not
fowls that were considered part of the Game Birds of
Hyderab ad.

ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING
The Annual General Body Meeting of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh will be held on Wednesday, 15

September 2010, at 6PM at Vidyaranya High School, opp. Secretariat (old gate), beside Hotel Anmol International,

Hyderab ad.

Birds of Himachal Pradesh — a photo-collage (Part-1)
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

These photographs, taken during our summer trip to Shimla, Manali and a few other places in the vicinity, are testimony to the
amazing variety and beauty of our avi fauna. I have tried to put together photographs (including some not-so-great ones) to show
species that we in the South generally do not get to see.

Brown Dipper

tian Vulture

Brown-heaced Barbet

Bats \
Oriental Turtle Dove

Slaty -backed Forktail

(To be continued)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Yellow Bittern (xobrychus sinensis)

Yellow Bittern

(Cherlapally, July 2010)

Order: Pelecani formes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Ixobrychus
Species: sinensis
Size: 38cm

Description: The Yellow Bittern has a yellowish-fawn
body with an overall general colouration of yellow, brown,
rufous and chestnut. Yellowish-buff wing-coverts contrast
with dark-brown flight feathers. The male has bluish- or
pinkish-brown mantle and scapulars, and the face and sides
of neck are vinaceous (the colour of red wine). The female
is generally similar to the male, typically with rufous
streaking on dark crown, variable orange/brown streaking
on foreneck and breast, and diffuse buff edges to rufous -
brown mantle and scapulars. The juvenile appears buff
with bold streaking on upperparts including wing-coverts;
foreneck and breast also show heavy streaking.

Behaviour: The Yellow Bittern is a widespread resident. It
frequents reed-beds and flooded paddy fields, inland
swamps, coastal mangroves, estuaries, etc. It is largely
crepuscular but is more active during the day in cloudy
overcast weather, and hence it is also seen somewhat more
easily during cloudy or rainy weather. A great skulker, it is
commonly seen on or among the reeds, and when startled,
freezes into typical bitten posture, merging itself
effectively into the reed background. It is resident
throughout the Indian subcontinent; also Andaman &
Nicobar Islands and Sri Lanka.

Nesting: The Yellow Bittern nests mainly between June
and September. The nest is a pad of reed stalks on reeds or
in shrubs near a pond. The clutch consists of 4-6 pale blue
or greenish-blue eggs. Both sexes share in parental duties.

Local name: It is known as {jun bagla’ or ‘peela bagla’ in
Hindi, ‘Pasupu wakha’ in Telugu and ‘manal narai’ in
Tamil.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@gmail.com

For information, write to: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, PO Box 45, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500034.

E-group: http://groups.google.co.in/group/bsap_online. Website: www.bsap.in. Society membership (in Rs.):
Admission: 100; Annual: 400 per annum; Student: 200 per annum; Life: 3000. (Add Rs 75 for outstation cheques.)

P¥ TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 10 October 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 24" October 2010, 6:00AM: Edulabad / Inkriyal.

Route: Ghatkesar village crossroads - right turn, drive about 4km towards Edulabad - Inkriyal (2km after
Edulabad).

The water bodies in these places should be full after the recent rains. One can look forward to seeing a number of
water birds, waders and field birds. The lake abounds in varieties of ducks, storks, cormorants, bitterns, ibises,
sandpipers, stilts, etc. The scrub and the trees around Inkriyal are home to some woodpeckers, owls, cuckoos,
hoopoes and some birds of prey as well. We can expect to see some migrants too. A ride in the coracles into the
lake offers good opportunity for closer viewing of the birds.

This will be a halfday trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please
contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS
Thursday, 21" October 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office Complex, Hill
Fort Road, Nampally.

Colourful, mysterious, noble and intriguing, birds have fascinated us since the dawn of history. With the series The
Life of Birds, David Attenborough, one of the world’s foremost naturalists, hosts an extraordinary exploration into
the secret lives of these magnificent creatures.

Fishing for a Living - Birds not only find food in every part of the land, but are also experts in collecting it from
water. Over time they have developed many ingenious methods — from diving to dancing, skimming to spearing —
to reap the rich bounty in Earth’s waters.

ROCK WALK: Sunday, 31" October 2010: Fakhruddingutta. Meeting Points: Hyderabad Central,
Punjagutta, 6:30AM; NMDC, Masab Tank, 7:00AM; Delhi Public School, Khajaguda (near Gachibowli),
7:30AM.

A special Rock Walk has been planned with members of the Society to Save Rocks. The Society aims to preserve
and protect the spectacular ancient granite formations of the Deccan Plateau - a natural wonder of stony ridges and
hillocks, shaped into picturesque balancing forms.

ANNUAL GENERAL BODY MEETING

The Annual General Body Meeting of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh was held on 5" September 2010. The
following were elected as the new Executive Committee:

Aasheesh Pittie - President Sushil Kapadia - Member
JVD Moorty - Vice-President K. Bharadwaj - Member
MS Kulkarni - Vice-President Umesh Mani - Member
Shafaat Ulla - Hon. Secretary Shanti Mani - Member
K Nanda Kumar - Hon. Treasurer Asif Husain — Member

TR RK

Trip Report — Rampally Cheruw, Chenapally, 19" September 2010
Nilay Raha

Cinnamon Bittern (Photo: Mahipal)

“Rain God’ had almost bid adieu to Hyderabad and this
thought made me confident that the 19th moming would
turn out to be a clear, blue, sunny day — a perfect day for
birding. Rampally Cheruvu is situated in Cherlapally
Industrial Area, near ECIL and comes under the Ghatkes ar
Mandal of Ranga Reddy District of Andhra Pradesh. It is
surrounded by fields, marshes and scrub. The Cinnamon,
Black and Yellow Bitterns along with many other species
have been spotted here, making a visit to Cherlapally
worthwhile.

I joined Ms. Shila Ram Mohan and her son at 5:30 a.m. and
we headed towards ECIL cross road where we met the other
birders. I was delighted to meet all my friends and a number
of novices who were keen on joining BSAP. This appeared
to be one of the biggest gatherings for a BSAP field trip
since January 2010. Almost 10-12 cars followed one another
in a convoy from ECIL cross road to Rampally Cheruvu.

We were delighted to see the lake filled to almost 80% of its
capacity but were disappointed to see the banks littered with
idols of Lord Ganesha after the immersion. As we got down
from our vehicles, we saw a Little Grebe (Tachybaptus
ruficollis) with its chick, happily swimming in the lake.
Within five minutes we saw Black-crowned Night Herons
(Nycticorax nycticorax) (including a juvenile) roosting on a
tree near the bank, Common Coot (Fulica atra), Purple-
rumped Sunbirds (Nectarinia zeylonica), Common
Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), Little Egrets (Egretta
garzetta) and Little Cormorants (Phalacrocorax niger) in
flight. We then divided ourselves into small groups. The
bigger group walked along the bund, which separates the

lake from the fields, marshes and scrub, while I joined the
group that went towards the lower left side of the bund.

——

a a —_ me A
Little G rebe with chick Photo: Asif Husain)

We noticed a few Green Bee-eaters (Merops orientalis)
playing with one another on the electric wires with the Ashy
Prinia (Prinia socialis) giving the background score as they
enjoyed the wind in the reeds. We then saw a lone Red-
vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) and massive Purple and
Grey Herons (Ardea purpurea and Ardea _ cinerea
respectively) flying across the lake. I recollected the phrase
“Good things come in small packages” when we saw a
group of Red Munias or Red Avadavats (Amandava
amandava), White-rumped Munias (Lonchura striata),
Scaly-breasted Munias (Lonchura punctulata) and two
Black-headed Munias (Lonchura malacca) near the reeds.

Ashy Prinia (Photo: Umesh Mani)

As a beginner, I try recognizing birds by their calls and,
therefore, paid attention to the different calls emanating
from the reeds. However, I could only identify the call of
the Prinia. We again saw the Black-headed Munias for
almost three minutes as they came and sat right in front of
us merely six feet away, as if proudly showing off their
amazing colours of jet-black, white and brown to us.
Undoubtedly, we were thrilled with their presentation!

Spot-billed Duck (Photo: Mahipal)

The resident pair of Spot-billed Ducks (Anas
poecilorhyncha) flew above us calling out in alarm as we
entered their territory, while a Black Drongo (Dicrurus
macrocer cus) sat on a wire a little far off from us. We then
spotted two Coppersmith Barbets (Megalaima
haemacephala) sitting atop a dry tree. Spotted Doves
(Streptopelia chinensis), few Jungle Crows (Corvus
macrorhynchos ) and an Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicata)
also shared the space amicably. In the same tree, we saw a
White-throated King fisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) which was
resting for over 15 minutes as if not intending to fish in the
first few hours of the day. Further ahead, we saw a male
Streaked Weaver (Ploceus manyar). We took some time
understanding the differences between this bird and the
Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) as it made short flights
between a small tree and the nearby reeds.

As we approached the lake, we saw two Pied King fishers
(Ceryle rudis) hovering above the lake, but they were

unable to catch any fish. While observing the King fishers, I
spotted a Cinnamon Bittern (xobrychus cinnamomeus)
flying above us, and with great enthusiasm I called my
group members to view its beauty!!! It was 7:45 by then and
we were ready to take a walk on the bund. On the way to the
bund we saw Rose-ringed Parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in
flight, Laughing Doves (Streptopelia senegalensis), Rock
Pigeons (Columba livia), a pair of White-browed Wagtails
(Motacilla maderaspatensis) and Baya Weavers. The right
side of the bund has paddy fields and marshes and the
nesting bitterns there, make this place a highlight for all the
birders.

Yellow Bittern (Photo: Umesh Mani)

As soon as we climbed onto the bund we saw a Yellow
Bittern (xobrychus sinensis) that flew at our eye level and
then settled in the reeds nearby. We also saw Cattle Egrets
(Bubulcus ibis), Indian Pond Herons (Ardeola grayii),
House Swifts (Apus affinis), Asian Palm Swifts (C ypsiurus
balasiensis), Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), a Wire-
tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) and Red-rumped
Swallows (Hirundo daurica). On the reeds we saw Indian
Silverbills (Lonchura malabarica) and on the other side of
the lake we spotted a pair of Asian Pied Starlings (Sturnus
contra). We were a little disappointed as we did not see the
Black Bitterns (Dupetor flavicollis). But one of the waders -
the Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) did not let us
down and made its presence felt. It was our only migratory
bird of the day. We also saw a couple of enthusiastic River
Terns (Sterna aurantia) flying above the lake and bobbing
their tails up and down. I observed its deeply forked tail,
deep yellow bill and black crown very closely. I deviated
from bird watching for a while as I noted down the names
and contact details of the trip attendees. BSAP uses these
details to update its database.

While returning from the bund we saw a big flock of Great
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) flying high above us.
Mr. Kulkarni explained the uniqueness of the V-shape these
birds maintain while flying in groups. He also explained that
the shape tends to change quite often when they try and
overtake one another.

We all then gathered under a tree to have breakfast. While
having our breakfast I updated my bird-list. The birds
spotted by the other group members were Greater Coucal

(Centropus sinensis), Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea),
Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix griseua), House
Crow (Corvus splendens), Common Kingfisher (Alcedo
atthis), Black Kite (Milvus migrans), Common Moorhen
(Gallinula chloropus), Common Myna_ (Acridotheres
tristis), Jungle Prinia (Prinia sylvatica), Indian Roller
(Coracias benghalensis) and White-breasted Waterhen
(Amaurornis phoenicurus).

As we were saying our goodbyes, my attention was diverted
by a black creature that went into the branches of a tree. I
was curious and stood still for a while, waiting for it to
appear. After playing a hide and seek with me, it revealed
itself It was the Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicaphaeus
viridirostris). I christened him “The Bird of the Day”. I
called the other members and showed them the unique
features of its beak, the body, the legs, eye color and most
importantly the long white-tipped graduated tail.

At the end of this half day trip we all were exhausted but
very satisfied as we got to spot 56 birds, all thriving in this
eco-system of Cherlapally.

Report — Indoor Meeting, 21° September 2010
Guide to Waders
Sharad Murdeshwar

Winter is a season that is keenly awaited by birders like us
from the tropics and warmer parts of the globe. It, not only, is
a pleasant change from the heat and humidity, but also signals
the arrival of the winter migrants that reside here after winging
their way southward.

Among the numerous migrants that come to the Indian sub-
continent for these brief months, or, use it as a stopover in
their journey, are a group of relatively ‘long-legged birds’
wearing a subtle, patterned plumage. These handsome birds,
known as ‘shorebirds’ in the US and ‘waders’ in Europe and
the rest of the world (in the US, the term ‘wader’ is used to
refer to long-legged wading birds such as storks and herons),
present a significant challenge to amateur birdwatchers.
Though there are many field-guides available, identifying
these birds is difficult for the untrained eye. The fact that these
birds show considerable plumage variation by season and age
also adds to the problem. Moreover, the bold patterns and
colours of the breeding season give way to more subtle ones
by the time they migrate to our regions.

Since the migration season is upon us, the Birdwatchers’
Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP) and the Goethe-Zentrum,
Hyderabad, very thoughtfully, organised a screening of the
documentary ‘Guide to Waders’ at the Goethe-Zentrum
Hyderab ad.

The high quality footage; possibly sourced from different
film-makers, specially filmed to highlight their plumages

during breeding, migration and when wintering, is an
excellent source of information on our winter visitors. The
documentary is a direct, to-the-point presentation on each of
the listed species and anyone expecting long shots of waders
against the setting sun, moving to a_ synchronised
background score, was in for a big surprise.

Some of the important species that migrate to the Indian
sub-continent are the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus
ostralegus), the Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), the
Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola), the Black-winged Stilt
(Himantopus himantopus), the Oriental Pratincole (Glareola
maldivarum), the Cream-coloured Courser (Cursorious
cursor), the Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius), the
Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), the Kentish
Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) and the rare, Spoon-billed
Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaeus).

While this is an excellent film, which highlights the key
characteristics of waders and differences among species that
closely resemble each other, I felt that if one was able to
refer to a field guide, watch and discuss the points
mentioned in the film and take notes, one would gain a lot
more from this film. This may be wishful thinking, given
the extended duration that such a screening and discussion
would entail, but it would be extremely helpful to anyone
hoping to clearly identify these waders in the field.
However, our heartfelt thanks to BSAP and the Goethe-
Zentrum, Hyderabad for screening this film.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — The Ground Birds
“The Old Shikaree”

Some of the more important members of the Wildfowl
fraternity are the ground birds. Of this, there are several
different families, as diverse as the Bustards and the Quails.
The families are not very clear-cut, but they have one common
quality, and that is that they were all universally esteemed for
culinary purposes.

The ground birds also have one other outstanding
characteristic in common. All are fast on the wing and are
expert dodgers and very difficult to see. They are, indeed,
more often heard than seen. After having been persecuted for
so many years, perhaps, that is not so surprising. Still, the
resilience of some of the smaller species has been
commendable. The larger species, such as the Bustards, have
suffered much due to systematic hunting and, in recent years,
wholesale habitat destruction, but the smaller members of the
tribe such as the Partridge and Quail, on account of their shift
from scrubland birds to farmland birds, have managed to fill
up a vacant niche in their changed environment and have
adapted well.

The ground birds, as their name implies, subsist mainly on the
ground. Very few are given to ascend into trees, though
Peafowl are known to fly into low trees to roost. But the bulk
of the ground birds prefer to forage and roost on the ground.

Ground birds subsist largely on seeds, locusts, worms and,
occasionally, small lizards and skinks. Peafowl are popularly
supposed to be a deterrent to snakes, and there is no doubt
that, since the birds habitually nest on the ground, snakes form
a large part of the predators to the nest and as such, are a threat
that the birds take quite seriously. I have seen a peacock
dancing all around a small rat snake, so disconcerting it that
the unfortunate reptile beat a hasty retreat from the heavily
stamping bird. The large and very sharp spur on the legs of
males of most of the ground birds is a rather effective weapon,
but it is mostly used as a weapon in fights between rival birds
and is not brought into action against other predators.

In bygone days, the ground birds were much pursued for sport.
Partridge and Quail formed a regular part of the menu at many

Tha

a frolic and merry-making. There is also a record of a
wedding feast amongst the nobility, where the guests were
served Partridge in preference to the eternal village
murghee. In my time, I have hunted these birds and, what is
more, eaten them too. This, of course, was in long-ago days
but the memory of the taste still lingers on the tongue.
Others, not concerned about the dwindling population of
these birds, continue to feast (if in a somewhat clandestine
fashion) — and to cater to this market, the bird-sellers
continue to stock the birds in their cages. I once saw a Hill-
Partridge being sold on the steps of the Jama Masjid in
Delhi! Grey and Painted Partridge are fairly regularly seen
in the cages of the bird sellers at the Chowk market in
Hyderabad. But, by and large, in the older days it was
mostly for the chase that these birds were valued. In the
grand old days of sport hunting and falconry, all members of
the tribe of ground birds were esteemed for the chase.
Sandgrouse were, apparently, greatest in demand and their
meat was pronounced as excellent eating by those who had
experience in these matters. Quail, for all that they are so
small, were equally esteemed on the table. Large flocks of
migrating quail were regularly trapped on passage and sold
to the gentry in the old days. The old time fowlers used to
also catch partridge by the ingenious method of securing a
tame partridge behind the nets. The challenging call of the
captive bird used to bring the wild birds into the nets. I was
once out with an old-time fowler who used this method and
we trapped around 7 birds in under an hour by this method.
I felt rather sorry for the tame bird, though. He sounded
quite hoarse by the time his owner finally called it a day.

The fowls that comprise the various species under the
ground birds fall under 6 different species. These are, in
order of size: Quail, Partridge, Sandgrouse, Spurfowl and
Junglefowl, Pheasants (which include the Peafowl) and
Bustards. Almost all these six tribes were represented in the
old Hyderabad state, although the Pheasant tribe has only
one representative. Pheasants, on the whole, are Himalayan
birds and, though they were extensively hunted in the
northern regions in the early days, they form not a part of
the tribe of the Game Birds of Hyderabad.

Bird Humour

paoe ears CRACKERS

THATS NO A TO ENCOURAGE Y ¥
Oye 30H Wey:

(From The Times of India, 16-04-2010)

Birds of Himachal Pradesh — a photo-collage (Part-2)
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

These photographs form the second & final part of the photo-collage on Birds of Himachal Pradesh, in which I have tried to show
species that we in the South generally do not get to see.

Blue-cappred Rock Thrush

Crimson Sunbird

~ 4

; Streaked Laughingthrush ;

“White-capped Water Redstart
Red-whiskered Bulbul

ip - J 7

Russet S aitow (Male) ; — - = - - —
P: Russet Sparrow (Female) eating rice put out by the armymen every
‘a morning

Asian Paradise-fly catcher (Female)

Whiskered Yuhina

Himalayan Griffon

Abd ti
Pied Flycatcher

~*~.

Grey Bushchat

Ss =

Grey -hooded. Warbler

——

Long-tailed Minivet (Female)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Black-headed Munia (Lonchura malacca)

Black-headed Munia
(Cherlapally, July 2010)

Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Lonchura
Species: L. malacca
Size: 10 cm

Description: Also known as Tricoloured Munia, the Black-headed Munia is a small chestnut, black and white munia with a
typical short, heavy and conical bill. Its head, neck and upper breast, vent, thighs, centre of belly, and undertail-coverts are
black. The abdomen is white. Lower breast and flanks are white in the nominate race, and chestnut in the races of the North and
North-east. The sexes are alike. The juvenile has uniform brown upperparts and buff- to whitish underparts, and a blue-grey
bill.

Behaviour: The Black-headed Munia is typically seen in flocks in marshy, tall grassland and is partial to swampy, low-lying
areas (or those with poorly drained water) with feathery grass or reeds. It is also seen near wet paddy cultivation fields. The
flocks hop around on reeds or grass, trying to glean grass seeds etc, and sometimes also eat winged termites emerging ftom the
ground. They fly in disorderly, close-packed, undulating waves, uttering feeble cheeps all the while. It is seen in the peninsula
south of Madhya Pradesh; also Sri Lanka. Not seen in Bangladesh, Pakistan or Myanmar.

Nesting: The Black-headed Munia nests mainly during the monsoon, i.e. from June to October, with some variations depending
on local conditions. The nest is a large ball of coarse grass lined with finer grass, with a lateral entrance hole, and is usually
built in low bushes or among the stems of coarse grasses. The clutch consists of 5-7 pure white eggs.

Local name: It is known as ‘nakalnor’ or ‘telia munia’ in Hindi, ‘nalla jinuwayi’ inTelugu and ‘thinai kuruvi’ or ‘nellu kuruvi’
in Tamil.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

For information, write to: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, PO Box 45, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500034. E-group:
http://groups. google.co.in/group/bsap_online. Website: www.bsap.in. Society membership (in Rs.): Admission: 100; Annual: 400
per annum; Student: 200 per annum; Life: 3000. (Add Rs 75 for outstation cheques.)

P# TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 11 November 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 14 November 2010, 6:30AM: Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University,
(ANGRAU), Rajendranagar. Meeting Point: Hyderabad Central, Panjagutta, 5:45AM.

BSAP will be visiting the Agricultural University after a gap of over two years. The large campus, with its fields
and forests, should yield a good number of birds, including some migrants

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please
contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: LIFE OF BIRDS
Thursday, 18" November 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office Complex, Hill
Fort Road, Nampally.

Signals And Songs - Birds communicate with one another using signs, signals and occasionally a bit of mimicry.
With sound and visual display, they warn one another of danger, defend territory and offspring, maintain social
hierarchies, attract mates and even settle their conflicts peacefully.

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 28 November 2010, 6:00AM: Manjeera Barrage, Sangareddy, Medak District.

Made up of several small islands, the Manjira Bird Sanctuary spreads over 20 sq km and is nestled between the
Manjira and Singur barrages. A number of migratory and resident birds nest and breed here. Painted Storks, Herons,
Coots, Teals, Cormorants, Pochards, Black and White Ibises, etc, can be found here. A few Mugger crocodiles too
call this sanctuary home. It is located 60km from Hyderabad.

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please
contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

| HSBC-BSAP HYDERABAD BIRD RACE |

| After a gap of two years, the HSBC-BSAP Hyderabad Bird Race will be held on 21 November 2010. The details |
| have been posted in the e-group. Please rush and register your names for this wonderful event. The last date for |
| receiving the entries is 6:00PM on 18'" November 2010 (Thursday).

| You can give your names and contact details (including those of your team members) to:

| Shanti Mani - 9391008302/ shantimanid @ gmail.com (OR)

Sushil Kapadia — 9393319333/ sushildk @ yahoo.com (OR)
Asif Husain Arastu — 990861 1496/ asifjoy@ yahoo.com

Trip Report — Inkriyal Lake, 24" October 2010

Pied Crested C

My wife and I have joined BSAP recently and this was
our third field trip, the first being to Ananthagiri Hills,
followed by Cherlapally last month.

We all gathered at Uppal crossroads by about 6:30 in the
morning and 13 of us started for our destination in a
convoy of four cars and a motorbike. We took a right turn
at Ghatkesar crossroads and after a quick cuppa, went
straight to Edulabad. However, although we had planned
to do birding here, we decided to proceed to Inkriyal as
we could not see any bird life at the tank.

We had traveled a few kilometers when we spotted two
raptors high up on an electricity pylon. We all stopped to
investigate and after looking through the spotting scope,
we discovered that they were Black Kites (Milvus
migrans). Stopping here, however, was a blessing in
disguise as the surrounding landscape of thorny bushes
and scattered trees was rich in birds.

For both of us all birds were new and fascinating —
including the Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer),
which we were told was a very common garden bird!
Some of the birds that we saw here were the White-
browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus), Brahminy Starling
(Sturnus pagodarum), Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius
schach), Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus), Green Bee-
eater (Merops orientalis) and Common Myna
(Acridotheres tristis).

After some good birding we proceeded to the village of
Inkriyal. We went through it to the other side to the lake.
Not only were there lots of House Crows (Corvus
splendens) but also quite a few House Sparrows (Passer
domesticus) - a sight that made us very happy because
they have become so rare in our city. We parked our

Meena & Madan M Dixit

uckoo (Photo: Asif Husain)

Aliy'se. $, a

vehicles at the edge of the lake and got out and were
immediately treated to a sight of many birds all around.

First we saw a White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla
maderaspatensis) on top of a small temple, wagging its
tail. On the opposite side was a beautiful White-throated
Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) perched on a dry tree
and further ahead we could see the Black Drongo
(Dicrurus macrocercus) with its two-pronged tail.

} ‘ 2
res . =
oi, ..

Greater Coucal (Photo: Asif Husain)

Just then Meena, my wife, noticed a rather large bird on a
neem tree, which we were told was a Crow Pheasant or
the Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) which,
subsequently, came down and snatched a small fish from
the nets kept by the villagers. Suddenly there was
excitement among us as a Pied Crested Cuckoo (Clamator
jacobinus) came and sat on a babool tree, followed by a
beautiful Golden Oriole (Oriolus kundoo), Asian Pied
Starling (Sturnus contra) and some Yellow-billed
Babblers (Turdoides affinis).

Painted Storks (Photo: Asif Husain)
We then proceeded and walked along the bund and saw a
mongoose in the grass along a water channel. The lake
was full to its capacity because of the recent rains but
there were hardly any birds in the lake. Nevertheless, we
saw a flock of Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) at
the far end of the lake and a lone Darter (Anhinga
melanogaster), sunning himself with his wings open.

We also observed some Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea),
Purple Herons (Ardea purpurea) and Little
(Phalacrocorax niger) and Great Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax carbo) flying around, not to forget a
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur Indus) majestically gliding over
the lake. Of course, there were plenty of snowy white
Egrets all around. After spending some time here we
started back and stopped on the way as we saw a raptor
soaring high up in the sky. But in spite of our best efforts,
it remained unidentified.

Grey Heron (Photo: Asif Husain)

We then noticed a River Tern (Sterna aurantia) flying in
the vicinity. Since we had stopped we decided to have our
breakfast, as we were anyway famished. The variety of
food was amazing as everyone brought out picnic boxes.
It was the most enjoyable experience for us, sharing our
food with one another. After having had our fill, we
started back, having notched up a list of about 40 species.

Before we end this note we would like to put it on record
that we are thoroughly enjoying the BSAP outings and the
company of such wonderful people. Our sincere thanks to
the BSAP team, especially Mr. Shafaat Ulla for making
us members, as this is giving us the opportunity to meet
people from different walks of life. We have also decided
not to miss future trips and we hope to become more and
more familiar with birds as days pass by.

Report — Indoor Meeting, 21° September 2010

Network of Perfection
Asif Husain Arastu

Two-thirds of our planet is covered with water and
amongst all the animals living out of water, it is birds that
have developed a very wide range of techniques to collect
their food. That is what the documentary “Fishing for a
Living” by Sir David Attenborough was all about.

We learnt how birds all over the world have devised
unique solutions to extract little fish from shallow pools.
Superbly captured films showed how Skimmers, with
their long lower mandible, plough the surface of water.
When it touches something solid, they snap their beaks
shut with a quick reflex action. A unique bird in New
Zealand called the Wrybill amazed us all. Its uniqueness
lies in the fact that it has a beak that is bent to one side
and the bend, quite surprisingly, is always to the right.

Another fascinating bird discussed was the Diver bird. It
is the most skillful underwater swimmer. Its spectacular
white and black plumage made us stare open-mouthed.
The boobies were another awesome sight as they
divebombed the ocean’s surface with such beautiful
precision like the Fl6s! We were equally fascinated by
the wingspan of the Royal Albatross, which has the
biggest wingspan measuring more than 7 feet. Lastly, we
observed how the sea birds have tube-like noses, which
are absolutely crucial to their survival. This feature helps
them detect odours - a rare ability among birds that
enables them to find floating food at great distances.

As the documentary continued, it made us realize how
perfectly different birds adapt to the environment and it
looked as though there was an infinite chain, so uniform,
spreading all around the world.

Trip Report — Rollapadu, 2" - 4 October 2010
Text and photos: KB Anand

Blackbuck

After all the excellent planning and organisation by
Humayun and kind help from the Forest Department
officials, we set off from Hyderabad at 5AM on October 2
to Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary. After an hour's drive we
came across the corpse of a Jungle Cat (Felis chaus). It
was a road kill. We all felt very sorry for the young and
healthy animal.

About 140KM from Hyderabad, we noticed a Black-
headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) flying.
Initially I found this odd. However, a minute later we
found a heronry at Amadabakula village. Not a very well
known place, it has a bund which was built in 2005 to
store water. An old man at this small lake told us that the
last four years had witnessed many birds. There were
dozens of Black-headed Ibises and a few Glossy Ibises
(Plegadis falcinellus). River Terns (Sterna aurantia) and
Black-bellied Terns (Sterna acuticauda) were seen
fishing.

There were Little Cormorants (Phalacrocorax niger) and
Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) galore. A Eurasian Marsh
Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) was flying low, scanning the
ground. There were Common Coots (Fulica atra) and
White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) with
chicks and Lesser Whistling Ducks (Dendrocygna
javanica) with young ones. A female Yellow Bittern
(Ixobrychus sinensis) and a pair of Brown Crakes
(Amaurornis akool) played hide and seek with us, giving
us occasional glimpses. Four Darters (Anhinga
melanogaster) were resting on trees. Happy to have seen
some special birds, we moved on.

We reached Rollapadu Sanctuary by 1PM. Tall grass up
to a meter high welcomed us. The Forest Department has

planted this grass in a small portion of the sanctuary in
front of the office and guesthouse. We visited a small
museum and laboratory in the premises. The laboratory
had a few insect and reptile specimens. The Forest Guard,
Adi Seshaiah, accompanied us on a tour of the sanctuary.
He told us that seven guards constantly monitor the
sanctuary, keeping an eye out for the Indian Bustard
(Ardeotis nigriceps) and its movements. He told us about
the migrants which had arrived this season. His list of
residents and migrants in the sanctuary increased my
interest in the place.

We started on foot at 3PM. A pair of Zitting Cisticolas
(Cisticola juncidis) was constantly calling in this
otherwise silent area. Common Stonechats (Saxicola
torquata) appeared to have arrived here in good numbers.
A small pool of water in the grassland had very
interesting birds. A lone Common Greenshank (Tringa
nebularia) was standing still, undisturbed by our
presence. Two pairs of Little Grebes (Tachybaptus
ruficollis) were feeding while their chicks watched them.
A Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) was
closely followed by seven chicks. Few flocks of Chestnut-
bellied Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus) flew right over our
heads.

There are so many Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) that
no one can actually miss sighting this beautiful animal. It
was amazing to watch some of those little fawns. The
watchtower in the middle of the sanctuary gave an
excellent view of the plains. From here we could see an
Indian Fox (Vulpes bengalensis) scurrying around,
probably searching for food.

We stayed there in anticipation of few more interesting
sightings. Around sunset we sighted the Indian Wolf
(Canis indica). Though it was quite far we saw it for at
least ten minutes. As it was about to get dark we came
down from the watchtower.

It was time for the Harriers to come to their roosting
grounds. Though they were not in great numbers, some
had already arrived this winter. By the end of the day, we
had sighted four species of Harriers - Marsh (Circus
aeruginosus), Pallid (Circus macrourus), Montagu's
(Circus pygargus) and Hen (Circus cyaneus).

Finally it became too dark to see anything. As we were
returning, we saw a Nightjar making short flights. It was
not clearly visible in the darkness, but it was, most likely,
an Indian Nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus). About 9PM
we saw two Common Kraits (Bungarus caeruleus),
probably two days old, venturing close to the sanctuary
office.

It was satisfying to see several rare birds and mammals on
the first day of the trip but there was no sign of the bird
we were all after - the Great Indian Bustard. Seshaiah
claimed to have spotted the bird in the area close to
Alaganuru village just the day before and said that the
bird is a frequent visitor to the fields in surrounding
villages. The next day's plan was to visit one of those
places which the Bustards frequent.

We started early on day two. The beautiful Southern Grey
Shrikes (Lanius meridionalis) were everywhere. They
were perched on the cactus and other small plants. The
bird looks more beautiful in flight, with black and white
wing patterns.

We noticed a Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus)
from a distance. We moved closer to get a better view. I
have always seen this bird in flight but never perched. It is
a huge raptor. As we approached closer, it took off and
flew almost at ground level. I was really amazed by the
size of the bird and was thrilled to see it from close
quarters.

AS we were returning, an Indian Fox and a Blackbuck
saw us and ran. It appeared as though the fox was chasing
the antelope. It was really nice to see the chase but we
quickly lost them in the grass. The closest of all sightings
was the Common Babblers (Turdoides caudatus). Three
Babblers perched on the cactus paid no attention to our
presence and allowed our car just 15 feet from them.

Sighting them was really pleasant. They are one among
the several birds I saw for the first time during this tour.

Common Babbler :

The desire to see Bustards intensified as time was running
out. Seshaiah took us towards Jalakanur village, which is
in the southwest corner of the sanctuary, where Bustards
are seen quite often. On the way, close to Rollapadu
village, there is a small scrub jungle. Here, close to a
small water body we saw a pair of Red Munias
(Amandava amandava) mating. The male Red Munia has
vibrant colours, but to me the female is more beautiful.

We glimpsed a Rain Quail (Coturnix coromandelica)
here. I have come extremely close to quails, but have
never seen them for longer than a second. Either they run
into bushes or fly too fast before I even realize their
presence.

Blue-faced Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus viridirostris), Pied
Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus), Greater Coucal
(Centropus sinensis) appeared to fill the void due to the
absence of Cuckoos in the trip. There were hundreds of
Ashy-crowned Sparrow-larks (Eremopterix grisea) en
route.

The vast plains were dotted with occasional small trees.
There were two White-eyed Buzzards (Butastur teesa) on
these trees. A Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
perched on one of these trees allowed us close to it and
we had a good sighting of the raptor. Seshaiah informed
us that Lesser Kestrels (Falco naumanni) were also seen
in that area, but we were not so lucky to see it.

Isabelline Wheatear

We then sighted the bird of our trip. No, not the Bustard.
It’s a small bird about the size of a Common Stonechat.
Having seen so many Stonechats during the trip, we
almost ignored it and wrongly identified it as a Common
Stonechat. It’s only when it appeared before us for a
second time that we started to wonder what it was. It was
the Isabelline Wheatear (Oenanthe isabellina). There are
very few records of this bird in South India.

We spotted a Common Indian Monitor (Varanus
bengalensis) basking on the ground. We went closer to it
and observed it for few minutes. It was very huge. We
noticed a couple of Woolly-necked Storks (Ciconia
episcopus) landing in adjoining rice fields.

Common Indian Monitor

After dinner we ventured out again and saw a Banded
Kukri (Oligodon arnensis) and a Common Wolf Snake
(Lycodon aulicus). There was a big colony of Spotted
Owlets (Athene brama). There were so many of them that
it was hard to miss sighting them.

On day three, we went towards the wooded area near
Rollapadu Village. There we saw the Asian Paradise
Flycatcher (Terpsichore paradise). We then quickly went
to the watchtower. We could see a few herds of
Blackbuck. A White-eyed Buzzard flew past us, and a
Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis) was soaring high.

We then decided to go to the place where the Wheatear
was seen the day before. By the time we reached this
place it was 9:30AM and there were not many significant
sightings. On our way back to Hyderabad, we again
stopped at Amadabakula. We sighted 7 Painted Storks
(Mycteria leucocephala) and 2 Black Ibises (Pseudibis
papillosa) along with several other birds we saw during
the onward journey.

There are some disturbances to the calmness of the
Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary in the form a huge cement
factory coming up right next to the sanctuary, to the east,
close to the reservoir. The lighting from the factory is
clearly visible from the sanctuary and the night sky was
not all that dark. A small temple at the north end of the
sanctuary is being rebuilt and is being constructed in a big
way. All the construction material is strewn around and
the workers go through a path right in the middle of the
sanctuary.

Not sighting the Bustard is not just disappointing but is of
great concern. There are rare reptiles and birds in the
sanctuary, which is a good sign and it further enhances
the importance and need for proper conservation of THE
GREAT GRASSLAND.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — The Ground Birds
“The Old Shikaree”

Ground birds, in this part of the country, are from six
distinct families. These are Quail, Partridge, Sandgrouse,
Spurfowl, Junglefowl, Pheasants and Bustards. As
mentioned in an earlier installment of these memoirs, they
were all birds much esteemed for the table and a common
addition to the menu of sporting gentlemen in the grand

old days. From this persecution developed their uncanny
knack of keeping a very low profile, being mostly heard
and not seen and, lastly their extreme speed and dexterity
on the wing. The ground birds recognized, quite early on,
that to stay in flight was to draw both attention and gun-
sights to themselves.

So they countered this by only indulging in short flights
from where they were flushed, to the nearest cover. Here
they hurriedly drop to the ground and, invariably,
continue forward at a run to a distance of a few dozen
yards. You go to the spot where you saw it going to
ground and the bird is nowhere to be seen. Cast around in
all directions and the bird will again flush from under
your feet and repeat the performance. Very ingenious it is,
too. I was once taken in by this performance no less than
5 times by a particularly rotund partridge that I was
determined to add to my menu. I finally called it a day
when, at the sixth attempt, the partridge no doubt tiring of
this profitless hide-and-seek jamboree, took wing and
sailed off to quite a distance. I have never seen a longer
flight than that made by this particular partridge. It went a
good couple of hundred yards from its starting point.

Quail

In the old Hyderabad state, there were four species of
quail recognized by the shikarees. These were the
Common Quail, the Rain Quail, the Jungle and Rock
Bush Quails and the Common Bustard Quail. This last is
hardly deserving of the name of Quail as it is much
smaller than any of the preceding species and can, indeed,
give a Sparrow a good run for its money in the matter of
who is smaller in size. Owing to their diminutive size and
their capital use of all available cover, quail shikarees
seldom achieved any notable bags. A bag of over a dozen
brace in a single day was considered very good going.

The Quail family are miniature Partridges, from their
appearance, their legs being a trifle stunted and their tails
a mere apology. They are quite happy running about on
the ground in little coveys from about 6 to 8 birds,
scratching up grass seeds or running through recently
harvested fields, feasting on spilled jowar, bajra and rice
seeds. Small incautious insects and moths also fall to their

lot, particularly if the birds have a family to feed. For
some reason, most seed-eating birds have young that are
distinctly carnivorous in habits and insist on having fresh
insects as an inseparable adjunct to an _ enjoyable
childhood. To this end, the adults often forgather at dead
and decaying animals to take their pleasure on the many
maggots and grubs that such putrefying fauna quickly
accumulate. I have also seen large coveys of quail that
had learned to recognize feeding time for Spotted Deer at
a national park near Hyderabad. As soon as the bell rang
to inform the deer that their feeding trays had been filled,
the area quickly became alive with quail, all running up to
the trays and stuffing themselves before the deer could
come up and spoil their feasting. This argues intelligence
of a high order.

Intelligence was much required by the birds. They were
favourites of the sporting gentry and many day-long
excursions were organized for the express purpose of
doing battle upon them. I have, in my day, participated in
battles of this nature and generally considered myself as
doing passably well if I made a bag of four to five brace
of the birds. Some of my companions were better shots
than me and they made considerable bags, of up to ten
brace of the birds. The most frequently encountered were
the Common and Rain Quail. We also, I remember on one
particular occasion, came across a nest of these birds.
Cunningly situated under a thick tussock of dried grass,
there were six eggs and one chick inside. The chick had
evidently hatched just a couple of hours ago. We
hurriedly retreated behind suitable shrubbery and awaited
the return of the parent. After an interval of a few
minutes, there stepped out of the adjoining bushes, a
small Button Quail (the smallest of the tribe). Our sense
of guilt was suitably diminished as this bird, whatever
else it may be, is not a part of the tribe of the Game Birds
of Hyderabad.

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS

DONT LOOK AT ME-
1 YOURE THE ONE WHO
| WANTED TO ADOPT

70
| AN OSTRICH!

(From The Times of India, 19-06-2010)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

Great Cormorant — Adult (L) and Immature (R)

(Cherlapally, July 2010)

Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Phalacrocoracidae
Genus: Phalacrocorax
Species: P. carbo

Size: 80-100 cm

Description: The largest of the cormorants, the Great
Cormorant is generally glossy black and has an orange
gular pouch, white cheeks and throat, and white head
plumes and a white thigh patch during breeding season.

The non-breeding Great Cormorant is more blackish-
brown, lacks the white head plumes and thigh patch, and
has a duller gular pouch. The immature bird has whitish or
pale buff underparts, and acquires adult plumage from the
fourth year.

Behaviour: The Great Cormorant is typically seen singly or
in small flocks and inhabits large inland water bodies, sand
banks, lagoons, etc. Its diet is almost exclusively fish,
which it hunts by diving and chasing underwater. Courting
behaviour includes raising the tail, bending the head
backwards till it almost touches the back and (in the males)
flapping the wings slowly. It is resident and migratory, and
seen throughout India up to over 3000m.

Nesting: The Great Cormorant nests from September to
February, with some variations depending on_ local
conditions. The nest is a large platform in mixed heronries.
The clutch consists of 3-6 pale blue eggs overlaid with a
layer of chalky white. Both sexes share domestic duties.

Local name: It is known as ‘pan kowwa’ in Hindi and
‘bonta kaki’ in Telugu.

For Private Circulation Only
Editor: Shanti Mani Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

For information, write to: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, PO Box 45, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500034. E-group:
http://groups.google.co.in/group/bsap_online. Website: www.bsap.in. Society membership (in Rs.): Admission: 100; Annual: 400
per annum; Student: 200 per annum; Life: 3000. (Add Rs 75 for outstation cheques.)

ker

P¥TTA

Newsletter of the Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh
New Series Volume 7 Number 12 December 2010

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 12 December 2010, Pocharam. Meeting Point: Hyderabad Central,
Panjagutta, 6:00AM.

Pocharam is a large reservoir on the Manjira River, about 70km downstream from Manjira Barrage.
The reservoir is situated amidst undulating hills, with dry deciduous forest and scrub jungle. The lake
varies in extent from 15,000 to 20,000 ha depending upon the season and fluctuations in rainfall. The
lake is known to support a wide variety of resident, as well as migratory waterfowl. More than 53
species of waterfowl are listed for the area. Specialities include Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill
and Bar-headed Goose.

Members are requested to be on time as it is a long, two-hour drive. This will be a half-day trip. Please carry
plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552)
or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

INDOOR MEETING: IDENTIFICATION OF RAPTORS
Thursday, 9" December 2010, 6PM: Association of German Culture, 203, Hermitage Office Complex, Hill
Fort Road, Nampally.

Rajeev Mathew, President BioWILD Foundation, Hyderabad and a member of BSAP, will be speaking,
with a presentation, on field identification of Raptors. He will concentrate on Eagles found in
Peninsular India.

Rajeev was a field biologist with BNHS at Bharatpur where he studied raptor behaviour, with special
emphasis on feeding. Raptors are noted for thieving and scavenging, and, like all predators, are
opportunistic free-loaders. In the course of his research, he learnt to identify individual eagles. Having
learnt the 'JIZZ', he was able to identify and tell apart confusing patterns, etc, of different species and
even different genera, which are very similar to the untrained eye. He will be using the same ‘JIZZ’ for
his talk.

FIELD OUTING: Sunday, 26" December 2010, 6:30AM: Narsapur Reserve Forest, Medak District.

Spanning an area of over 30 to 40 sq km, Narsapur Forest is one of the most popular birding spots
around the city. The forest is rich in small woodland birds, woodpeckers and flycatchers. Birding in the
forest and by the lake promises interesting sightings.

This will be a half-day trip. Please carry plenty of water and snacks. For further details and to co-ordinate, please
contact Mr. Shafaat Ulla (98492-29552) or Mrs. Shanti Mani (93910-08302).

Trip Report — Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, 14'" November 2010

Surekha Aitabathula

Coppersmith Barbet (Photo: Mahipal)

If Asif hadn’t slammed his brakes on hearing a bird call,
the Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
would not have become the bird of the day for me!
Silvery-white with a metallic black- crested head and two,
impossibly long and narrow, ribbon-like feathers in the
tail. Like a Christian bride's white train! The contrast of
white and black on this bird is sheer brilliance.

>. - ; = : « 2
Asian Paradise-flycatcher (Photo: Asif Husain)

We were a small and happy group of birders who spotted
about 40 different kinds of birds at ANGRAU (Acharya
Nidubrolu Gogineni Ranganayakulu Agricultural
University), Rajendra Nagar on 14th November.
ANGRAU has an ongoing All India Network Project for
Agricultural Ornithology. The purpose of the project is to
study the behaviour of beneficial birds in agricultural
landscape; damage patterns of different agricultural crops
by birds and recommendations/management methods,
thereby, developed under the project. For example, the
Commom Myna (Acridothres tristis) is the first predator
to be introduced for locust control. The Black Drongo
(Dicrurus adsimilis) is a potential predator of a pest called
Helicoverpa armigera. The arboreal and the nocturnal
Barn Owl (Tyto Alba) feeds on rodents and our national
bird can adapt to different agro-climatic zones of India.
The project effectively caught my interest. If some birds
are beneficial, there are others that are depredatory on
crops, such as the Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula
krameri). We saw standardized nest boxes which were
meant for the conservation of hole-nesting birds in
agricultural landscape. Low-cost bird scaring devices,
such as reflective ribbons, were placed amidst the crops to
ward off birds. I was amused to see the juxtapositioning
of bird scaring device and bird perches and standardized
nests! Furthermore, I didn’t know whether to be happy for
the crops or be sad for the Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) as
I am told that it is a threatened species in agricultural
landscape.

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Plain Prinia (Photo: Asif Husain)

So it was a great learning experience and satisfactory
birding around ANGRAU. We saw countless Little Egrets
(Egretta garzetta) and Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis)
dotting the verdant agricultural landscape with their
pristine white beauty. I could identify the beautiful and
statuesque Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus), not
because I had progressed in bird identification, but simply
due to its diagnostic features that make it easily
identifiable. It has a black head, neck and breast with a
white patch on ear-coverts; a red bill with a black tip and
yellow legs, and the crowning glory being the crimson,
fleshy wattle in front of each eye. Difficult to go wrong
when presented with so many colourful and distinctive
features! I feel that successful identification of the Red-
Wattled Lapwing by a novice birder is like the proverbial
baptism and the crossing of the threshold so to say, into a
much more challenging, yet engrossing and riveting world
of bird watching.

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Wood Sandpiper (Photo: Asif Husain)

The highlights of my day were over a hundred Wood
Sandpipers (Tringa glareola) in calm waters! With
heavily spotted sepia-brown upperparts and white lower
back and rump, these lovely, hundred-odd birds together,
looked like a lesson in peaceful coexistence.

I saw the Indian Roller (Coracias Benghalensis) for the
first time. As a child I had heard about the ‘paalapitta’
(telugu for Indian Roller) with reference to its colour, so I
was thrilled to see it manifest before my eyes! Rufous-
brown, green, turquoise-blue and dark-blue colours come
together to make this beauty that is the State Bird of
Andhra Pradesh.

Indian Roller (Photo: Mahipal)

Flashes of golden-yellow revealed the Eurasian Golden
Oriole (Orioulus kundoo) flitting across in the dense
foliage. Another interesting sighting was a lone Asian
Openbill (Anastomus oscitans). Its black bill with arching
mandibles leaves a narrow gap between them. I read in Dr
Salim Ali's book that "the precise significance and
function of the curiously shaped bill is obscure and calls
for special investigation" On reading this I hoped
someone would expedite the investigation!

Our group also spotted a Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus
caeruleus), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis
melanocephalus), White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis
phoenicurus), and White Wagtails (Motacilla alba) sitting
pretty atop a shack.

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Spotted Owlet (Photo: Mahipal)

We also saw Black-rumped Flameback, Indian Treepie

(Dendrocitta vagabunda), Coppersmith — Barbet
(Megalaima haemacephala), Spotted Owlet (Athene
brama), Shikra (Accipiter badius), Tickell's Blue

Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae), Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus
rufulus), Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark (Eremopterix
grisea), Rufous-tailed Lark (Ammomanes phoenicurus),
Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquata), Green Bee-eater
(Merops orientalis), Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura
punctulata), Indian Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica),
Asian Pied Starling (Sternus contra), and Indian Grey
Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris).

We stopped for tea after five happy hours of birding and
recounted each member's bird of the day. On the ride back
home I recalled one particular slogan on the posters of the
ANGRAU Project. It said SAVE WETLANDS -
CONSIDERED MOST BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE OF
ALL ECOSYSTEMS.

Trip Report — Manjeera Barrage, 28" November 2010
Nupur Banerjee

Asian Openbill (Photo: Umesh Mani)

Originally from Kolkata, I came to Hyderabad a month
back and joined a Biotech Company here. I came to know
about BSAP from some of my friends in the
‘Bengalbirds’ and ‘Kolkatabirds’ and contacted Mr.
Shafaat Ulla and Mr. Umesh Mani. I joined the flock of
BSAP and I was pleased to meet like-minded people here.
I also brought along a colleague who is interested in
wildlife but never got the opportunity to go on any trips.

This trip to Manjeera Bird Sanctuary (Manjeera Barrage)
was my first with the group. It is about 60 km from
Hyderabad and spreads over an area of around 20 sq. km.
and is well known for its resident and migratory birds.
Besides birds, a number of other animals can be found
there. There is also an Environmental Education Centre
and a Crocodile Breeding Centre for the Marsh
Crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris).

Black-breasted Weaver (Photo: Umesh Mani)

We gathered at Panjagutta Cross Roads at 5:45AM and
from there Mr. Humayun took us to Mr. Shafaat Ulla’s
house. There some more members joined us and we (8
members) started at 6:30AM for the Manjeera Barrage.
We enjoyed the long drive and stopped for morning tea at
Sangareddy. Twenty minutes from there we stopped at a
spot just before the main barrage and another 6 members

joined us. On both the sides of the road there were
ploughed fields and we had a good start with a mixed
flock of birds like Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura
punctulata), Black-headed Munia (Lonchura Malacca),
Baya Weavers (Ploceus philippinus), Black-breasted
Weavers (Ploceus benghalensis), Plain Prinia (Prinia
inornata), Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis) and Zitting
Cisticola (Cisticola juncidis) in some small bushes and
reeds.

Black-headed Munia (Photo: Umesh Mani)

We saw a pair of Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquata),
many Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and Intermediate
Egrets (Mesophoyx intermedia) and also an Asian
Openbill (Anastomus oscitans). We saw a pair of Indian
Grey Hornbills (Ocyceros biristris), a pair of Great
Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), flocks of Glossy
(Plegadis _falcinellus) and Black-headed _Ibis
(Threskiornis melanocephalus), Rose-ringed Parakeets
(Psittacula krameri), Common Myna_ (Acridotheres
tristis) and Asian Pied Starlings (Sturnus contra) and also
a flock of Rosy Starlings (Sturnus roseus) which are
winter migrants. We also spotted a Shikra (Accipiter
badius) with its catch.

Zitting Cisticola (Photo: Umesh Mani)

After spending some time there we continued to the
barrage where we first saw a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur
Indus) flying overhead. I was so excited to see it because
it is an uncommon species in West Bengal. This bird was
our State Bird only some years back! But the other
members informed me that it is a common bird in Andhra
Pradesh. We then walked along the road on the barrage in
some small groups, observing the small islands in the
water body. There were a number of birds sitting there
which included River Terns (Sterna aurantia), Grey
Herons (Ardea cinerea), Glossy Ibises, and Common
Coots (Fulica atra). There was a large flock of Lesser
Whistling-ducks (Dendrocygna javanica) along with two
Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis) and a pair of Cotton
Pygmy-goose (Nettapus coromandelianus).

While walking around we found quite a good number of
Scaly-breasted Munias, Indian Silverbills (Lonchura
malabarica), Rosy Starlings and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters
(Merops philippinus). We saw Barn Swallows (Hirundo
rustica) and Wire-tailed Swallows (Hirundo smithii)
flying around and then coming to pose for our cameras!
We were surprised to get such cooperative birds there!

Some Black Drongos (Dicrurus macrocercus) did the
same. We were excited to spot a Purple Heron (Ardea
purpurea) and a pair of Red Avadavats (Amandava
amandava).

Wire-tailed Swallow (Photo: Umesh Mani)

After walking around there for about three hours, we
came down from the barrage for breakfast as everybody
was very hungry! We enjoyed that part of our trip very
much; it was like a picnic. We started walking around the
barrage again after getting some energy! Another hour of
walking added a few more species to our list. We finally
started from there at around 1 pm and again stopped for
tea midway.

In short, the entire experience was amazing. It was
completely because of Mr. Shafaat Ulla who invited me to
join this group. There I got the opportunity to meet many
nice people and also become a member of BSAP.
Therefore, a special thanks to Mr. Shafaat Ulla. My
heartiest thanks also to Mr. Humayun, Ms. Anjali, Mr.
Umesh and all other members who made the whole trip
that much more rewarding. And, finally I can say, I will
try my best to attend as many trips of BSAP as possible.

The Wildfowl of Hyderabad — The Ground Birds
“The Old Shikaree”

In the last column, we talked about the habits of the
members of the Quail family. These, the smallest of the
ground birds, are followed by their larger cousins, the
Partridges, Pheasants, Spurfowl, Junglefowl and Bustards,
all of which were represented by at least one species in
the old Hyderabad state.

Partridge

In the old Hyderabad state, there were only two well-
known members of this family, with a third sometimes
coming in. The commonest of the lot was the Grey
Partridge, followed by the Painted Partridge. In parts of
the state that adjoined the Central Provinces, such as near

Berar, the odd Black Partridge also was added to the bag.
But this was a rare occurrence. Most of the time it was the
common Grey Partridge that made up most of the bag.

The Partridges are quintessential ground birds and very
rarely, if at all, ascend into the trees. They are happiest
running about in small coveys that can vary from a couple
of birds up to a dozen. Their life revolves around
scratching around for grain and seeds, the occasional
termites and insect larvae, and avoiding the attacks of
their many enemies. In the natural state, their major
enemies are ground hunting mammals such as jungle cats,
mongoose and foxes.

Their terrestrial habits make them less susceptible than
most to the attacks of hawks and falcons, as these hunters
prefer to do their hunting on the wing.

But if they have few enemies in the natural world, this is
compensated for by them having several from the human
world. The bird trapper is a most fearsome foe; so also the
poacher. These are still implacable enemies. The old-
world fowlers took a considerable toll of the birds, but
never so much that the covey was wiped out. Most of the
old-time shikarees ensured that they left sufficient seed
birds in the covey to keep it active and breeding.

Sandgrouse

There are only two species of Sandgrouse that are found
in this part of the world: these are the Painted Sandgrouse
and the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. Both species are
equally fast on the wing and have similar habits. They are
squat birds with long tails and a wonderful camouflaged
plumage that makes them almost impossible to see when
they are on the ground, hiding amongst small rocks and
fallen leaves and even bare ground.

The Sandgrouse have one rather quaint habit that was
well-known to the old shikarees. Every evening, as the
shadows lengthen, the birds form up into small groups
and hie themselves to the nearest pool of water for their
evening drink and dip. They also have the very interesting
habit of carrying water back to their chicks through the
simple process of wetting their breast feathers and using

these as sponges to convey the water to their thirsty
progeny. It is a very interesting sight to see a small covey
of these birds land on the shores of the pond, dip
themselves well in the water and, when they have
absorbed as much as their tonnage allows, taking wing
and flying straight back to where the young birds await
the return of the adult with water for them. At other times,
when they have no young to convey water to, they will
have their drink and then spend time scratching around on
the shores of the pond for seeds and grain, occasionally
snatching up a _ succulent termite or incautious
grasshopper.

On the wing, these birds are very fast and were much
pursued on account of this habit. They were termed as
being eminently suited for the table and were therefore
much pursued. Their unfortunate habit of returning every
evening to the waterhole made them rather easy to bag by
the unscrupulous shikaree who had only to conceal
himself in the shrubbery around the waterhole and then
wait for the birds to come in. If the shikaree was a
sportsman, he would then try to bag the birds on the wing;
but the unsporting chaps waited for the birds to settle and
then shot them when they were drinking or feeding.
Needless to say, such activities were most sternly frowned
upon by the genuine sportsman.

Since Sandgrouse were quite fast birds, large bags were
very rarely made. A dozen brace was an excellent bag.
They were the fastest and most difficult to bag, of the
Game Birds of Hyderabad.

Bird Humour

ANIMAL CRACKERS

THEYRE ALWAYS BUSY FOR)
| THE MIGRATORY SEAZON.

(From The Times of India, 11-08-2010)

Bird of the Month
Text and photos: Umesh Mani

Collared Pratincole (Glareola pratincola)

Collared Pratincole (non-breeding)
(Himayatsagar, 12-08-2009)

Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Glareolidae
Genus: Glareola
Species: G. pratincola

Description: The Collared Pratincole is a short-legged,
tern-like plover with long, narrow, pointed wings which
extend to the tip of a deeply-forked tail when closed. It is
olive-brown above, has black lores that continue as a black
band around a rufous throat. The breast is brown, which
passes to rufous and on to white on the abdomen. The
wings have a chestnut underside lining, black wing quills
which are quite clear in flight, and trailing white edges to
secondaries (which are not always easy to see). The sexes
are alike. The juvenile has shorter outer tail feathers;
upperpart feathers are buff-fringed with dark subterminal
marks.

Behaviour: The Collared Pratincole is gregarious and
crepuscular, and is typically seen in small (and sometimes

large) flocks on dry bare ground around wetlands, dried-up
flood plains, tidal mudflats, marshes, harvested coastal
fields, etc. It hunts in the mornings and evenings, usually
hawking insects high in the air, like swallows, but
sometimes skimming over cultivated fields or even on the
ground. Its diet consists almost exclusively of insects. It
has a distinctive ‘kirri, kirri’ call in flight. It is resident,
nomadic, and seen throughout India; also in Pakistan,
Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Nesting: The Collared Pratincole nests from March to
May. Its nest is a shallow depression scraped out in hard,
sun-baked land, and sometimes even in hoof prints. It nests
gregariously. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs, which are
pale yellowish to yellow-buff, densely spotted with black
blotches. Both sexes share domestic duties.

Local name: It is known as ‘Karuvalaya Tholkuruvi’ in
Tamil, ‘Bada babuibatan’ in Bengali, ‘Motu tejpar’ in
Gujarati and ‘Valiya meevalkkata’ in Malayalam.

For Private Circulation Only
Email: bsap.pitta@ gmail.com

Editor: Shanti Mani

For information, write to: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, PO Box 45, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad — 500034. E-group:
http://groups.google.co.in/group/bsap_online. Website: www.bsap.in. Society membership (in Rs.): Admission: 100; Annual: 400
per annum; Student: 200 per annum; Life: 3000. (Add Rs 75 for outstation cheques.)

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Full text of "PITTA New Series Volume 7 2010"

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